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THE 

LIKE-TO-DO STORIES 


BY 

LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH 


ILLUSTRATED BY 
L. KATE DEAL 



BECKLEY- CARDY COMPANY 
CHICAGO 





Copyright, 1920, by 
BECKLEY- CARDY COMPANY 

A 1,1, RIGHTS RESERVED 



JtC 31 1320 ► 


©CU604810 



CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The Little Girl Who Liked to Wash Dishes. 5 

The Little Boy Who Liked to Bring in Wood and 
Water. 15 

Little Ann All-Alone. 24 

The Little Girl Who Couldn't Tell Time. 31 

The Little Boy Who Liked to Wash His Hands 
and Face.... 39 

The Little Boy Who Was Afraid of the Dark. ... 46 

The Looking-Glass Girl. 53 

The Little Boy Who Liked to Hang Up His Coat 

and Cap. 63 

The Little Boy Who Liked to Say “ Thank You ” 

and “ If You Please ”. 72 

The Little Boy Who Was Always Kind. 84 

Little Boy Sick-a-Bed. 95 

The Little Boy Who Made the Best of Every¬ 
thing. 102 

The Little Girl Who Did a Kindness Every Day. .. 112 

The Cricket and Little Behind-Hand. 119 

Little' Kind Heart ..... 128 

About the Book. 135 


3 































































































































































































. 























































































































































































































































































































The Like-to-Do Stories 

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIKED TO WASH 
DISHES 

Over our beautiful earth Lady Wind blows 
her breezes. Sometimes the breezes are 
warm; sometimes they are cold. And some¬ 
times they bring little songs with them. 

This day the little breezes were wafting a 
song. But all that could be heard of it was: 

“I cannot find her! I cannot find her!” 

Lady Wind wondered who it could be that 
was singing so early in the morning. But 
pretty soon Fairy Sunshine peeped from be¬ 
hind the clouds, and again Lady Wind heard 
the words: 

“I cannot find her! I cannot find her!” 

Then Lady Wind blew her silver horn and 
cried: 

“Good morning, Fairy Sunshine. Welcome 
to the bright day which you always bring! 
But whom are you looking for?” 

5 


Fairy Sunshine stopped her singing and 
answered: 

“For the good little girl who likes to wash dishes. 
To find her is the dearest of all of my wishes.” 

“That ought to be easy enough,” said Lady 
Wind. 

But Fairy Sunshine shook her head and 
replied: 

“Into each kitchen I go like a rover — 

Girls hate to wash dishes the living world over. 
The one who enjoys it I’ve yet to discover, 

But wherever she lives I surely shall love her.” 

Lady Wind laughed merrily as she sang: 

“Oh, fairy dear, leave that to me! 

I ’ll seek her over land and sea. 

0 ’er all the earth I blow and blow — 

I ’ll find this little girl, I know.” 

“You may think it easy,” said Fairy Sun¬ 
shine, “but I know that I shall soon hear you 
sighing.” 

Then Fairy Sunshine danced away among 
the green leaves and Lady Wind started out 
to look for the little girl who liked to wash 
dishes. 


6 


She blew here and she blew there, but not 
a trace of any such girl could she find. And— 
would you believe it? — she searched for her 
three hundred and sixty-four days, which is 
almost a year, you know. Then she became 
discouraged and made up her mind not to look 
any more, for she was quite sure that no such 
little girl could be found. 

But the very next day Lady Wind blew into 
somebody’s kitchen and put out the light. 
Then she heard a merry voice exclaim: 

“The fairies must be near to-night, 

When Lady Wind blows out my light!” 

The voice belonged to a little girl who was 
busy in the kitchen. The little girl lighted 
her lamp again, and Lady Wind hid behind 
the window curtains to see what would 
happen. 

The little girl seemed very happy, for she 
sang merry jingles as she worked. At last, 
she took a shining dishpan off a nail and 
poured plenty of hot water into it. Then she 
took a nice white dish-mop and a soap-shaker 
7 





and made a lot of fluffy white suds, while she 
sang away at the top of her voice: 

“The pretty suds are white as snow; 

Fairy suds they are, I know.” 

Lady Wind was so eager to hear what would 
come next that she shook the window curtains 
to and fro, and she could scarcely believe her 
ears when the little girl sang gayly: 

“The water is hot, the suds are fine; 

Each dish 111 wash and make it shine.” 

Lady Wind was so glad she had found the 
little girl wh<rliked to wash dishes that she 
blew right up to her and kissed her on the 
cheek. 

But at that very moment the most astonish¬ 
ing thing happened. A door opened and in 
trooped four and twenty little Hill Men, each 
carrying a basket full of dishes to be washed! 

But the little girl neither scolded nor 
frowned. She only laughed and sang: 

“Washing dishes I adore — 

Bring me cups and saucers more!” 



Then the little Hill Men piled their dishes 
on the table. And they piled them higher and 
higher, until they nearly reached the ceiling. 
Still the little girl was not in the least dis¬ 
couraged. She only sang: 

“Bring the dishes, pile them high; 

I’ll wash them neatly by and by.” 

So the little girl sang her song and washed 
and washed her dishes. Then she rinsed them 
nicely with hot water and dried and polished 
them till they shone. And the Hill Men never 
9 





















helped her a single bit. They did n’t even stay 
to keep her company. 

Over and over the little girl tilled her pan 
and washed dishes. Would she never stop? 
And all the time she kept singing: 

“If I enjoy the work I do, 

Perhaps my wishes may come true! 

I like to wash the dishes — so — 

And place them neatly in a row.” 

And when at last the dishes were all 
done, the four and twenty Hill Men came 
rushing in with their empty baskets, each 
one shouting: 

“Fill my basket first! Fill my basket first!” 

And the little girl filled all their baskets 
with nice clean dishes. 

Lady Wind was so happy that she could 
keep still no longer, so she whispered softly 
in the little girl’s ear: 

“ ’Tis wishing time, and there’s no doubt 
The friendly fairies are about.” 

The little girl heard her and laughed. Then 
she sang happily: 


10 


“Oh, with the prince I’d ride to-day, 

And gallop miles and miles away;' 

Of dollars bright, if I had plenty, 

I’d like to spend just four and twenty.” 

When the little Hill Men heard her wish for 
money they all cried out: 

“Hurrah, hurrah! Let’s get our money¬ 
bags for the little girl who likes to wash 
dishes!” 

So the four and twenty Hill Men set down 
their baskets of dishes and all ran off to get 
their money-bags for the little girl who liked 
to wash dishes. 

And every minute the prince was coming 
nearer and nearer! 

Then Lady Wind blew her silver horn, and 
in a twinkling the good fairies changed the 
little girl’s plain dress to one of silver and 
gold. 

And the little girl was so delighted that 
she sang: 

“Blue gingham dresses don’t compare 
With gold and silver ones to wear.” 

Just then the prince rode up on a snow- 
11 


white horse, while another just like it galloped 
beside him. 

When the little girl saw the prince with 
the beautiful snow-white horses, she clapped 
her hands and cried: 

“Upon a steed as white as snow, 

Through all the world I wish to go.” 

The prince smiled at her and helped her 
mount her snow-white steed, and the little girl 
said to the prince: 

“Oh, thank you, sir; you are so kind! 

Such charming ways I seldom find. 

With such a comrade by my side, 

I surely shall enjoy my ride.” 

At this minute the little Hill Men came 
back with their four and twenty money-bags 
and gave them all to the little girl, and she 
rode gayly off with the prince. The little Hi ll 
Men with their baskets full of nice clean 
dishes bowed very low as she passed them 
singing: 

“My wish came true—I wonder why! 

Bear little men, good-by, good-by.” 

12 





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When the prince and the little girl had 
gone, the little Hill Men disappeared as sud¬ 
denly as they came. And Lady Wind flew 
away as fast as she could to find Fairy Sun¬ 
shine and tell her about the little girl who 
liked to wash dishes. 

When Lady Wind had finished the wonder¬ 
ful story, she said: 

“If people would have their wishes come true, 

They should work with a will, as the fairies do.” 

And Fairy Sunshine sang: 

“Girls, sing at your work as you wash the dishes, 
And the fairies will surely grant you your 
wishes.” 

Neither Lady Wind nor Fairy Sunshine 
ever learned the name of the little girl who 
liked to wash dishes. But together they trav¬ 
eled the wide world over and sang her story 
to every little girl they met. And for all that 
I know they may be singing it yet! 


14 


THE LITTLE BOY WHO LIKED TO BRING 
IN WOOD AND WATER 

One evening, as Mother and Ted and Fred 
were sitting by the kitchen fire, the door 
opened and in walked the Family Story- 
Teller. 

When Ted and Fred saw him they gave a 
shout of delight, for they knew he would 
surely tell them a good story. And after he 
had taken a seat in a rocking-chair by the fire, 
he coughed two or three times to clear his 
throat, and began. . 

And this is the story which the Family 
Story-Teller told Mother and Ted and Fred 
as they were all sitting that night, rocking by 
the kitchen fire: 

Once upon a time, after Lady Wind had 
found the little girl who liked to wash dishes, 
she blew in at the kitchen door of a small 
brown house, and Fairy Sunshine danced in 
after her. 


15 


Here they found a little Water Sprite sing¬ 
ing merrily away in the teakettle on the 
stove, and this is what he was singing: 

“If I were to search a year and a day, 

I never should find him anyway.” 

Lady Wind laughed. 

“Whom are you looking for?” she asked. 

“And whom are you singing about?” in¬ 
quired Fairy Sunshine. 

The Water Sprite laughed, and answered: 

“The good little boy who likes to bring in 
wood and water.” 

“Just wait, little Water Sprite,” said Lady 
Wind. “Fairy Sunshine and I will find him.” 

Then Lady Wind blew her silver horn, and 
she and Fairy Sunshine flew out of the room 
and started off; on their journey. 

The Water Sprite was so pleased at being 
noticed that he almost bubbled over, and he 
sang loudly: 

“They think it easy — that I know; 

But miles and miles they ’ll have to go!” 

The Water Sprite was right. For Lady 
16 


Wind and Fairy Sunshine traveled many, 
many miles in their search for this wonder¬ 
ful boy. 

On their journey over land and sea, they 
found wood boxes full, and wood boxes empty. 
They found water pails full, and water pails 
empty. They found many little boys who 
worked, but they could not find a single boy 
who liked to bring in wood and water. 

One day Fairy Sunshine said: “Perhaps the 
Water Sprite knew what he was talking 
about, for he lives in kitchens and often peeps 
out of the teakettle to see what is going on in 
the world.” 

Lady Wind sighed and said: “Maybe so, 
maybe so—but we must not give up!” 

And so Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine 
traveled on for a year and a day. 

Then they came to a house on the side of 
a hill. Here they paused, for they saw a little 
boy carrying an armful of wood and he was 
singing merrily: 

“Pile the wood box high and higher; 

Of carrying wood I never tire.” 

17 



Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine almost held 
their breath in surprise, and decided to watch 
the little boy who liked to carry wood. 

After the little boy had carried in armfuls 
and armfuls of wood, whistling and singing 
all the time, he took up the water pail and 
went off singing: 

“At the spring beyond the hill, 

My pail with water I like to fill.” 

Then Lady Wind blew gently and said: 

“He likes to work, and without doubt 
The fairy folk will soon be out.” 

18 








And then the most wonderful thing hap¬ 
pened! Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful 
little woodland fairies came out from the trees 
and the flowers and danced around the good 
little boy. One even perched on the rim of his 
bucket and softly whispered to him: 

“You always like the work you do, 

So make a wish — it may come true.” 

When the little boy heard the fairy he was 
so surprised. He sat down on a big stone and 
he thought and thought about what he should 
wish. By and by he replied: 

“I’d like to see the circus clown — 

The funniest fellow in the town.” 

Then — would you believe it? — a really, 
truly circus clown jumped out from behind a 
tree, singing: 

“My lad, some water bring for me, 

And a jolly circus you shall see.” 

The little boy quickly fetched the clown a 
drink of clear, cold water. 

You may be sure he was greatly excited at 
19 







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the thought of the circus, but he knew that he 
had first to carry home his pail of water. So 
he hurried just as fast as he could, while the 
circus clown ran at his heels and sang the 
funniest nonsense songs ever listened to. 

After the pail of water was safe at home, 
the little boy and the circus clown rail down 
to the broad white road, for the circus parade 
was coming that way, nearer and nearer every 
minute. 

When it came close to them, the clown took 
the little boy’s hand and they both jumped 
into the nearest chariot. Then the two of 
them rode away together in the great parade. 

When they came to the big tent, the little 
boy wished to go inside, so the clown took him 
in where he could watch all the other clowns 
playing in the ring. 

And the little boy saw the lions and the 
tigers and the tall giraffe, and many, many 
other animals; and the circus clown let him 
carry pails and pails of water for them. 

Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine were curi¬ 
ous to see what the little boy was doing, so 
21 




Lady Wind blew the flap of the tent door open 
and they both peeped in and saw the little boy 
' clapping his hands and laughing with all his 
might. 

Then they went back to tell the Water 
Sprite about finding the little boy who liked 
to bring in wood and water. 

The Water Sprite was singing merrily away 
on the kitchen stove, as usual. When he 
peeped out of the teakettle and saw who were 
coming in, he cried: 

“You Ve found the little boy, I know. 

Your smiling faces tell me so.” 

When the Family-Story-Teller had finished, 
he leaned back in his chair and rocked to and 
fro, to and fro, and Mother said: 

“I wonder if that was a true story? It 
sounds to me like a fairy tale.” 

I am quite sure that if you were to try for 
one hour and thirty-two minutes, you never 
could guess what happened next. 

You know they were all sitting rocking by 
the kitchen fire. 


22 


Well, the wood box and the water pail 
were both empty. 

Suddenly Fred and Ted jumped up from 
their chairs. Fred went out for an armful of 
wood, and Ted went for a pail of water! 

Mother and the Story-Teller looked at each 
other and laughed, and Mother said: 

“I believe that was a true story, after all.” 


23 





LITTLE ANN ALL-ALONE 


In the early days of fall, 

Calling children one and all, 

Everywhere the school bells ring — 

Hear their merry ding, dong, ding! 

So sang the school bells on the first day of 
school. And such hurrying and scurrying as 
there was in homes all over the land getting 
the children ready for school! And every¬ 
where the children were calling out: 

“Where is my book?” 

“Where is my pencil ?” 

“Where is my lunch pail ?” 

In nearly every home there was a mother 
or a father, an aunt or an uncle or a grand¬ 
mother, to help the children get off to school. 
But you might say that little Ann All-Alone 
had nobody. She lived with her grandfather, 
to be sure, but he was very deaf and very lame, 
and he had quite forgotten how children feel 
about going to school all alone on the very 
first day. 


24 



Little Ann was a shabby little girl. She 
wore a torn apron. There were buttons oft 
her shoes. Her hair was not neatly brushed 
and braided, but flew all about her face. 

Little Ann pouted and said: “I do not want 
to go to school all alone!” 

Grandpa could not hear her, so she wrote 
the words on a slate for him to read. Then 
he said: 

“If you do not go to school, 

You may be a foolscap fool.” 

25 











Little Ann did not wish to be a foolscap fool, 
so she put on her little red sunbonnet and 
started slowly down the path that led to 
school. As she walked along, she heard the 
school bells ring again. They plainly said: 

“Come, little Ann, fall into line; 

I ring each day at a quarter of nine!” 

“Oh, dear!” sighed little Ann, “I am going 
to be late, and I do not like to go into that big 
room all alone.” 

Two big tears came into her eyes, but she 
kept on her way, though her feet felt heavy 
as lead. 

Little Ann reached school at last. She 
would not go in, but stood shyly in the door¬ 
way until pretty little Eosy Cheeks beckoned 
to her to come in and sit beside her. 

Eosy Cheeks had on a new apron. All the 
buttons were on her shoes. Her hair was 
neatly braided in two little braids. She had 
her own book and pencil, and she taught little 
Ann to write numbers. 

The teacher made every one feel at home, 
26 


and kept every one busy. That morning she 
told the children a story about a yellow but¬ 
terfly which had been very lonely. It flew 
about all by itself, and at last was caught in 
a butterfly net. By and by it escaped from 
the net, but one of its pretty wings was torn, 
and it looked very sad indeed. But it was not 
sad very long, because some other yellow but¬ 
terflies saw it. They took it to a big green 
meadow filled with fragrant white clover, 
where they flew happily around all day long. 

The teacher said: “We should all try to be 
kind to one another. And we should also learn 
to do useful things. Come, let us make a but¬ 
terfly box!” 

The children were eager to try. Soon they 
were all busy drawing four-inch squares on 
nice white paper. At the four sides of each 
square they drew butterflies with wide-open 
wings. They painted the butterflies yellow, 
and then folded up their wings. They tied 
the wings at the four corners with yellow 
ribbon. And every child had made a butterfly 
box on the very first day of school! 

27 




The teacher told the children she thought 
it would be nice to fill their boxes with yellow- 
hearted daisies to take home. So when noon 
came all the children looked for wild daisies. 

Some of the children remained at school 
during the noon hour; and all who did had 
brought their luncheon with them except 
little Ann. 

Rosy Cheeks said: “Those who stay bring 
their dinner every day in a basket or a pail. 
I will give you part of my dinner to-day.” And 
a roly-poly little girl gave Ann half of her 
apple. 

What a happy day little Ann had! No one 
said: “Your apron is torn,” or “Half the but¬ 
tons are oft your shoes!” or “How wild your 
hair looks!” 

The boys and girls in that school tried to 
help one another. 

Ann was glad to take home her butterfly 
box. She did not fill it with wild flowers, be¬ 
cause her grandfather did not care very much 
about flowers; and, besides, there were plenty 
near home. 


28 



29 



























































































































As she skipped along toward home, she put 
her hand in her apron pocket and took out 
three pennies which her grandfather had 
given her one day. With these she bought 
some peppermints and put them in the butter¬ 
fly box to take to Grandpa. 

Grandpa had a sweet tooth, and he enjoyed 
the candy very much. 

Just think of all the things the children 
could put in those wonderful butterfly boxes! 

Little Ann All-Alone learned something 
every day. She learned to be on time at 
school. She learned to mend her apron and 
to sew buttons on her shoes. She learned to 
braid her hair neatly. 

She made so many friends that she felt 
almost as though she had real brothers and 
sisters. But the one she loved best was Rosy 
Cheeks, who had been so kind to her on the 
first day of school. 


30 


THE LITTLE GIRL WHO COULDN'T TE LL 
TIME 

Once upon a time there was a little girl who 
was always saying: “What time is it? I can¬ 
not tell time.” 

Her brother Robert was two years younger 
than she and he could tell time just as well 
as anybody. He liked to tease her about being 
so stupid, and he used to stand right in front 
of her and say, over and over: 

“She could n’t tell time, 

And she wouldn’t tell time, 

Till she learned it in song, 

And she learned it in rhyme.” 

This made the little girl very angry and she 
would stamp her foot and cry: 

“I will not learn, in song or rhyme! 

I ’ll never learn to tell the time!” 

And every day Mother said, “Oh, dear, what 
shall we do?” For the little girl was late to 
breakfast and late to school, and she always 
31 




made the same excuse: “I cannot tell time.” 

Mother and Father tried to teach her to tell 
time by the big hall clock, the kitchen clock, 
and the little alarm clock, but she said: 

“It is silly for clocks to have a long hand 
and a short hand on their faces. I cannot 
tell the time.” 

At last all the clocks in the house grew very 
tired of the little girl’s stubbornness and they 
resolved to teach her a lesson. So one night 
they met in the big hall when everybody was 
asleep to plan what they would do. 

The next evening, as usual, Mother said: 
“It is way past your bedtime, little girl, so 
run upstairs. How I wish you knew how to 
tell time!” 

The little girl went slowly upstairs, drag¬ 
ging one foot after the other. 

“I don’t want to tell time. I don’t want to 
tell time,” she said. 

Late that night, when all was still, the old 
hall clock came up the stairs—thump, bump, 
thump, bump! He went straight into the lit¬ 
tle girl’s room and stood by the little girl’s 
32 



bed. He shook her and shook her until she 
awoke. Then he said sternly: 

“Come, creep out of bed as still as a mouse! 

We ’re going away, right out of this house.” 

The little girl did not wish to get up and 
dress at that hour, but the old hall clock looked 
at her so sternly that she did as he said. And, 
to her surprise, as they went down the stairs, 
the parlor clock jumped down from the man¬ 
tel and joined them. The kitchen clock and 
the alarm clock came, too, saying: 

“We ’re all on time; we ’re never late, 

But we will hurry, at any rate.” 

33 






















The clocks took the little girl by the hand, 
and they all ran as fast as they could through 
the woods, until they came to a little white 
house, with a little white fence around it. 
They opened the little white door and all went 
inside. Then the clocks danced like crazy 
things around the little girl, crying: 

“Come, tell us the time! For if you ’re not good, 
We will leave you alone in this house in the wood.” 

The little girl was badly frightened, and 
you may be sure she tried hard to read the 
clock faces; but they kept dancing about her, 
shouting, “Quarter of,” “Quarter past,” “Half 
past,” until she felt dizzy. 

Suddenly, without any warning, they all ran 
out at the door and left her alone in the little 
house in the wood. 

But pretty soon the old hall clock came back 
and peeped in at the window, singing: 

“I have a long hand and a short hand. 

I’m sure this is easy to understand.” 

“Sing it again,” cried the little girl. “Sing 
it again.” 


34 


The old hall clock repeated his song, and 
continued: 

“Round and round do my two hands go, 

Prom right to left, as you should know.” 

The little girl repeated the words after him. 
Then she said: 

“How interesting! I did not know you could 
talk so much. I thought all you said from 
morning until night was ‘Tick, tock, tick, 
took.’ ” 

The old hall clock chuckled softly and said: 

“The short hand points to the hour — 

To understand is in your power; 

The long hand tells of each minute, 

And that is all there is in it.” 

Soon the old hall clock had the little girl 
clapping her hands and crying: “Twelve 
o’clock,” “Five minutes past,” “Ten minutes 
past,” and so on. 

In a little while she learned that on the hour 
the long hand is always at twelve while the 
short hand points to the number on the 
clock’s face. 


35 




Then the parlor clock and the kitchen clock 
and the alarm clock all came back to the 
window and called out: 

“Half past twelve and a quarter of one — 

Has the little girl’s lesson just begun?” 

The little girl replied: 

“It is an easy thing to learn, 

How every hour comes in its turn.” 

The old hall clock then opened his glass door 
and gave the little girl a blue plush box, with 
a little gold watch in it, and said: 

“You really like to learn the time 
When you are taught in song and rhyme.” 

The other clocks chimed in: 

“Your lesson is learned, for now you know 
How the long hand and the short hand go — 

The short for the hour, the long for the minute — 
And that is really all there is in it. ” 

Then the clocks took the little girl by the 
hand and they all raced merrily homeward in 
the beautiful bright moonlight. And the little 
girl put the gold watch in the blue plush case 
under her pillow and went to sleep. 

36 


The next morning she put her hand under 
her pillow the very first thing and pulled out 
the blue plush case with the little gold watch 
in it. She opened the watch. The short hand 
was at six; the long hand was at twelve. 

“It’s six o’clock!” she cried, and the watch 
ticked softly: 

“Yes, it’s six o’clock, and waking-up time, 

For the big hall clock has begun to chime.” 

At this very minute the parlor clock began 
to strike, too. The kitchen clock struck six, 
and the little alarm clock burst into a gale of 
laughter. 

The little girl dressed in time to set the 
breakfast table, and the old hall clock nodded 
pleasantly to her as she passed along the 

hall. 

She surprised every one in the house by 
getting up so early. 

After that night the little girl could always 
tell the time, and she was always on time to 
breakfast, and to school, and everywhere else 
that she went. 


37 






But her brother Robert could never make 
her tell where the little gold watch came from. 
And to this day, when he wishes to tease her, 
he says: 

“She couldn’t tell time — 

And she wouldn’t tell time, 

Till she learned it in song, 

And she learned it in rhyme.” 


38 


































































THE LITTLE BOY WHO LIKED TO WASH 
HIS HANDS AND FACE 

One day, while Lady Wind and Fairy Sun¬ 
shine were out walking together, Lady Wind 
said: 

“Fairy Sunshine, let us look for some one 
else who likes to do unpleasant things. But 
there is one person I am sure we never shall 
find, and that is the boy who likes to wash his 
hands and face!” 

How Fairy Sunshine laughed! It was too 
funny to think there could be a boy who 
liked to wash his hands and face! But as 
soon as she could stop laughing she said: 

“I fear we shall have to look long and far 
for him, but we may find him somewhere. 
At any rate, let us try.” 

So they then and there decided to search 
for the boy who liked to wash his hands and 
face. 

Before they started out on their new errand 
Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine went to see 
39 





the Water Sprite, who was always singing on 
the kitchen stove, for they wanted to tell him 
about it and to say good-by. 

They traveled east and they traveled west, 
and they traveled the wide world over, but not 
a trace of this boy could they find. 

After they had hunted and hunted for two 
years and two days, they became discouraged 
and gave up the search. 

“It is of no use,” they said. “The little boy 
who likes to wash his hands and face does not 
exist.” 

So they went back to the kitchen where the 
Water Sprite lived, to tell him the bad news. 
They found him, as usual, bubbling away on 
the kitchen stove. 

When he peeped out and saw who had come 
to see him, he was so pleased that he sang 
louder than ever and jumped clear out of the 
top of the teakettle, crying: 

“How do you do! How do you do! 

Glad am I to see both of you.” 

Lady Wind said sadly to the Water Sprite: 

40 


“Oh, Water Sprite, Fate’s not been kind! 

That little boy we did not find.” 

Then the Sprite laughed merrily and sang: 

“Oh, ladies dear, be happy, pray! 

You ’ll have your wish this very day. 

You did not need to journey so: 

He likes clean hands and face, I know.” 

And — would you believe it? — there, in 
that very kitchen, stood a little boy at the 
kitchen sink, washing his hands and face! 
As he dried them on a nice white towel, he 
sang: 

“To wash my hands is quite a treat; 

It always makes me feel so neat. 

And when I go out any place 
I like to have a nice clean face.” 

Lady Wind was so astonished that she whis¬ 
tled softly, and Fairy Sunshine danced across 
the floor and kissed the little boy right on the 
cheek. They were so glad that they had at 
last found the little boy who liked to wash his 
hands and face! 

Then a wonderful thing happened! A little 
41 




old man came into the room with a clay pipe 
in each hand, and he said to the little boy: 

“Oh, blowing bubbles is such fun — 

It’s high time, sir, we had begun!” 

Then the little old man and the little hoy 
each sat down on a stool, with a basin of soapy 
water between them, and began to blow soap 
bubbles. They had great fun seeing which 
could blow the bigger bubbles. 

Some of the bubbles were very large and 
lasted a long time. And many of them glis¬ 
tened with wonderful colors. 

Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine were so 
delighted that they crept closer and closer, 
and Lady Wind whispered softly in the little 
boy’s ear: 

“Dear little boy, with eyes of blue, 

We’re here to make your wish come true.” 

The little boy heard her and laughed, but 
the old man heard nothing. 

By and by the little boy blew a most 
wonderful bubble, for Lady Wind and Fairy 
42 




Sunshine helped him. And it grew bigger 
and bigger and had all the rainbow colors 
in it. 

As the bubble flew high in the air, the little 
boy’s eyes grew wide with wonder and he 
cried out: 

“Oh, bubble, big and round and gay, 

With you I’d love to sail away; 

And Grandpa, too, I’d like to take — 

Oh, what a journey we should make!” 

Then the most beautiful thing happened. 

The bubble grew larger and larger until it 
looked like a great balloon, and a basket big 
enough for two persons hung just beneath it! 

43 






The little boy and the little old man climbed 
into the basket. When they were safely 
seated, the bubble blew out at the open win¬ 
dow, and away and away and away it sailed — 
miles and miles over hills and valleys, over 
rivers and lakes, and over many large cities. 
And the little boy almost fell from the basket 
in his wonder at it all! 

The little boy and the little old man visited 
many places and had many adventures. 
Everywhere people smiled at the little boy, 
and they were kind to him because he had 
such nice clean hands and such a shining 
clean face. 

But what he liked best of all was the visit 
they made to the candy kitchen. Here he was 
told that he could pull candy as long as he 
liked because his hands were so clean. He 
also was allowed to take all the candy he 
wanted to eat, and to fill his grandpa’s 
pockets besides. And when the little boy and 
the little old man went away, the little boy 
was given three hundred and sixty-five boxes 
of candy to take home with him. 


'44 


Just think of it! — a box of candy for every 
day of the year! 

All day long the little boy was very happy. 
And every once in a while he would sing: 

“Oh, I am welcome every place 
Because I have clean hands and face! 

If you would have good times, you see, 

You must be neat as neat can be.” 

When the beautiful day was over and the 
moon was shining brightly in the sky, Lady 
Wind blew the big bubble safely home. 

The little boy and the little old man went 
to bed and slept soundly. And you may be 
sure they had pleasant dreams! 


45 


THE LITTLE BOY WHO WAS AFRAID OF 
THE DARK 

Tommy Tucker was a little boy who was 
afraid of the dark. 

All day long he went about the house 
whistling and singing, just as happy as happy 
could be. But when bedtime came he screwed 
his face up into a hundred wrinkles and 
whined: 

“I don’t want to go to bed. I am afraid of 
the dark!” 

One evening Mother Tucker said to Father 
Tucker: “Whatever shall I do with Tommy 
Tucker? He is so afraid of the dark!” 

Before Father Tucker could reply, the 
cuckoo came out of the clock and, instead of 
singing the hour as usual, he sang: 

“Tommy Tucker, I’ll help you out; 

Bedtime is not the time to pout.” 

The cuckoo went back into the clock. Click, 
click! went the door, and all was still. 

46 



Tommy Tucker clapped his fat little hands 
and cried: 

“Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Sing it again! Sing it 
again!” 

Mother said: “The cuckoo will come out 
again in half an hour, so if you hurry to bed 
you can listen to him when he sings.” 

By and by Tommy Tucker lay cuddled 
down in his little bed all alone in the dark. 
But he was wide awake, listening, waiting 
for the cuckoo. 

Would the clock door never open! Would 
the cuckoo never come out? 

But while he was thinking about it, click! 

47 



































click! went the clock door, and the cuckoo 
hopped right down from the clock and 
perched on the foot of his bed. All the while 
he was singing loudly: 

“Little boy afraid of the dark, 

Of courage you’ve not a single spark. 

All night I sing, ‘Cuckoo! cuckoo!’— 

I’m jolly company for you!” 

“Why — why,” said Tommy Tucker, “I’ve 
never thought of that! So I am not alone, 
after all!” 

Then the cuckoo did the funniest thing! He 
stood on his head and turned three somer¬ 
saults, and he sang: 

“I like the dark and silence, too — 

Oh, Lady Night, how do you do!” 

Tommy Tucker could never tell quite how 
it happened, but, the next thing he knew, a 
tall, dark lady with beautiful black wings was 
standing at the foot of his bed, looking at him 
very hard. It was Lady Night, the lovely 
Lady Night, and she said — oh, so softly: 

48 


“Tommy Tucker, how do you do! 

I’m not a bit afraid of you.” 

Tommy Tucker put his fat little hand over 
his mouth to keep from laughing. The idea of 
anybody in the world being afraid of him! 

Then Lady Night sighed and said: 

“I have so many fears — dear me! 

My mind from them is never free.” 

Tommy Tucker was so surprised to hear 
Lady Night say that she was afraid! He 
thought nobody was afraid but him. He felt 
so sorry for her that he said: 

“Don’t worry, dear Lady Night! I will sing 
a song for you.” 

And this is what he sang: 

“Deep in my heart there’s something sings, 
Dear Lady Night, I love your wings!” 

Lady Night was so surprised at Tommy 
Tucker’s song that she leaned over and kissed 
him! Then she sang softly to him: 

“Creep ’neath the wings of Lady Night — 

She ’ll take you in a dream ship bright.” 

49 


And Tommy Tucker was not the least little 
bit afraid! He just crept under Lady Night’s 
wings, and they both flew away in the dream 
ship, which was full of the most wonderful 
games and toys. 

But Tommy Tucker was kept busy, for 
Lady Night was afraid of so many things 
that he had every minute to cheer her up. 

She was afraid of the moon — the beautiful 
white Lady Moon. She was afraid of the 
stars that twinkle so brightly in the sky at 
night. She was afraid of lamps and gaslight, 
and even of dim little candles. 

It seemed so funny to Tommy Tucker that 
any one could be afraid of bright things, 
when he was so afraid of the dark! Why, if 
Lady Moon smiled in at his window, he was 
not afraid at all! He just smiled back at her 
and went to sleep. 

Poor, timid Lady Night would say: 

“If the moon were to shine out, Tommy 
Tucker, I should have to say good-by to you.” 

“Oh, don’t go, dear Lady Night!” begged 
Tommy. “Your cheek is as soft as Mother’s, 
50 


and your arms hug me tight like hers. And, 
besides, the moon can’t hurt you!” 

But Lady Night was most afraid of the sun. 
She would shiver and say: 

“But most, Tommy Tucker, I fear the day! 

When the sun comes up-1 must steal away.” 

Tommy Tucker said bravely: “I will take 
care of you, Lady Night; and I will tell all 
the little boys and girls that I know to sing 
this song: 

“There’s nothing in the dark to fear: 

We’re glad when Lady Night is here.” 

Lady Night was so pleased that she said: 
“Dear Tommy Tucker, I, too, will try never 
to be afraid again.” 

Then she kissed Tommy on both cheeks, 
and they flew away in the beautiful dream 
ship back to Tommy’s home. 

Tommy Tucker was sound asleep when 
they got there, and Lady Night put him into 
his little bed and tucked him in. Then she 
kissed him and flew away. 

In the morning Tommy Tucker found some 
51 





little black feathers in his room and he said 
to his mother: 

“Oh, Mother, see the feathers from the 
wings of Lady Night!” 

Mother laughed, but Tommy knew, and so 
did the cuckoo. 

And after that Tommy Tucker was never 
afraid to go to bed in the dark, and if any 
one started to turn on a light he would say: 

“Oh, please do not turn on the light! 

I must protect dear Lady Night.” 

52 















































THE LOOKING-GLASS GIRL 


Polly Brown was a very unhappy little 
girl. Indeed, she thought she was the most 
unhappy little girl in the town. She lived 
in a nice house, and her father and mother 
were good and kind, but she had no one to 
play with. The only playmate she had was 
the girl who lived in the looking-glass. 

Every day Polly and the girl stared and 
stared at each other, and it was the funniest 
thing the way they mimicked each other. 
Whatever one did, the other did. If one 
smiled, the other smiled also. If one frowned, 
the other frowned back again. But they 
never spoke to each other. 

Then one day, when Polly was very sulky, 
the Looking-Glass Girl found her tongue and 
called out: 

“Little Miss Sigh, Little Miss Frown, 

You’re the most unhappy girl in town.” 

And if ever there was an astonished girl, 
it was Polly! 


53 


“Oh! oh!” she cried, clapping her hands to 
her face. “I did n’t know that you could 
talk! So you are a really, truly little girl, 
after all?” 

The Looking-Glass Girl replied: 

“Little Miss Sigh, Little Miss Frown, 

See my red hair, see my plain gown.” 

Polly looked at the girl in the glass and she 
looked at herself; and — was n’t it the oddest 
thing? — they both had red hair and both 
wore the same homely gowns! 

“No wonder I sigh!” said Polly. “You 
would, too, if you were as lonely as I am. 
Why don’t you come out and play with me ?” 

The Looking-Glass Girl thought for a min¬ 
ute and then she said: 

“If you w r ill neither frown nor sigh, 

And promise that you will not cry, 

But smile instead for a year and a day, 
With you I may come out and play!” 

Polly promised and smiled a little in spite 
of herself, and the Looking-Glass Girl smiled 
back. * 


54 


Just then Polly’s mother, called: 

“Slow-coach, all the dishes in a row, 

Are waiting for a girl I know.” 

Polly’s mother often called her “Slow¬ 
coach,” because she was usually so long in 
coming when she was called. 

But to-day Polly ran quickly down the 
stairs and was soon washing dishes with a 
merry song and a smile. For, all the time, you 
know, she was thinking of the Looking-Glass 
Girl. 

She kept on smiling all the day, and every 
one she met said: “What a happy little girl!” 

In the evening, when Polly went to her 
room, she danced up to the mirror and smiled 
at the Looking-Glass Girl, who smiled and 
danced too. 

Polly said to the Looking-Glass Girl: 

“Looking-Glass Girl, I am happy and gay — 

I’ve been smiling at work and smiling at play.” 

And the Looking-Glass Girl replied: 

“If you always smile and are glad, 

You never need sigh nor be sad. 

55 


I want you to help me gather smiles 
That will reach away for miles and miles.” 

“Indeed, I will help you!” cried Polly. “It 
ought to be easy to do.” 

Then she went to bed and soon fell asleep. 

“Not so easy as you think,” whistled the 
wind. 

“Not so easy as you think,” sang the rain, 
as it beat tap, tap, tap, on the windowpane. 

And, worst of all, the next morning, some 
one knocked at Polly’s door before daybreak. 

“I’m Hard Times! Come, let me in,” said 
a voice. 

Without waiting for an answer, Hard 
Times came into the room and brought Polly 
a toothache. 

She woke up and cried so loud that she 
wakened the baby. To make things worse, 
it rained all day, and she was late to school. 

To add to her other troubles, a boy called 
softly to her as she went into the schoolroom: 
“Red hair, don’t care.” 

Now, will you believe it? — Polly forgot to 
smile at all that day! 


56 


That evening, as she was combing her hair 
before the mirror, the Looking-Glass Girl 
said to her: 

“Little Miss Frown, it is quite worth while, 

In spite of Hard Times, to learn to smile!” 

“In spite of red hair, toothache, and all?” 
asked Polly. 

The Looking-Glass Girl nodded her head, 
and soon they were both smiling gayly, as 
little girls should. 

“Thank you, dear little Looking-Glass 
Girl,” said Polly. “I will learn to smile even 
when it is hard work. Perhaps that will 
make other people smile, too!” 








































The next morning Polly began smiling as 
soon as she got up. When she went down to 
breakfast, she smiled at her mother. When 
she went to the store, she smiled at the 
grocer. And when she went to school, she 
smiled at the teacher and all the children. 

An d Polly’s smiles were catching. Every 
one she smiled at smiled at some one else, 
until there were just miles and miles of 
smiles. 

In the evening, when Polly went to her 
room, she danced up to the mirror. There 
she saw the Looking-Glass Girl. Polly cried 
joyfully: 

“Oh, Looking-Glass Girl, I’ve passed on the smiles! 

I really think we could count them by miles.” 

Then the Looking-Glass Girl smiled very 
sweetly at Polly and sang: 

“Fairy fingers, I am told, 

Can change red hair to shining gold!” 

Polly looked at her hair. It had become 
shining gold! 


58 


Then the Looking-Glass Girl sang another 
verse: 

‘‘Fairy smiles chase off a frown, 

And they change the plainest gown!” 

Polly looked at her dress. It had changed 
to one that shone like gold! 

And Polly looked just like a little sun¬ 
beam, with her golden hair and her golden 
gown. 

Then the strangest thing happened! 

The Looking-Glass Girl, who looked just 
like Polly, stepped right over the mirror 
frame, and said: 

“Now, Polly, you’ve a brand-new gown: 

Come, let us visit Smiling Town!” 

So Polly and the Looking-Glass Girl joined 
hands and danced gayly away to a beautiful 
town where every one was smiling. 

“It is very lovely,” said Polly. “It looks 
a little like my own home town, too.” 

Then they danced into a house where many 
lights were shining, and Polly said: “It 
looks a little like my house, too.” 

59 







mm 






60 



















































































































































Then they danced upstairs into a pretty 
room, and sat down in two little red rocking- 
chairs. 

Polly smiled and said: “This really looks 
like my own little room at home!” 

The Looking-Glass Girl stood looking at 
Polly in a pleased way. Then she said: 

“I see you’ve forgotten how to frown. 

Now I must hurry to Looking-Glass Town.” 

So saying, the Looking-Glass Girl kissed 
Polly and slipped a little gold ring upon her 
finger. The ring had blue forget-me-nots 
upon it. 

The Looking-Glass Girl stepped back over 
the mirror frame, and just then Mother 
called: 

“Little Slow-coach, are you here? 

It is supper-time, my dear.” 

Polly rubbed her eyes. There she sat in 
her little red rocking-chair. She had on her 
plain little dress. Her hair was as red as 
ever. But she was smiling! 

61 


And — wasn’t it strange? — Polly had on 
the ring with the blue forget-me-nots upon it! 

Polly always smiled after that when she 
stood before the mirror, and the Looking- 
Glass Girl always smiled back. 

If you make friends with the Looking- 
Glass Girl perhaps she will smile at you too. 


62 


THE LITTLE BOY WHO LIKED TO HANG 
UP HIS COAT AND CAP 

One day as Lady Wind was blowing little 
breezes here and there, and Fairy Sunshine 
was dancing in and out among the trees, Lady 
Wind blew upon her silver horn and called 
out to Fairy Sunshine: 

“Ha, ha! Ho, ho! I have in mind 
A little boy I should like to find.” 

Fairy Sunshine called back: 

“Dear Lady Wind, who is the boy? 

I’ll help you look, with greatest joy.” 

Lady Wind laughed merrily and replied: 

“Well, you never would guess. It’s the 
little boy who likes to hang up his coat and 
cap! Can we find him?” 

Fairy Sunshine- flitted around a while 
before replying to Lady Wind’s question. 
Then she said: 

“Dear Lady Wind, one never can tell: 

It will be hard work, I know full well; 

63 


And yet this boy we may discover 
If we should search the wide world over.” 

Lady Wind was anxious to be off, so, with¬ 
out any more ado, she blew her silver horn, 
and she and Fairy Sunshine started away 
together to look for the boy who liked to hang 
up his coat and cap. 

They traveled for many days. They vis¬ 
ited many lands, and peeped into many 
homes. 

They saw children come home from school 
and throw their coats and caps anywhere 
they pleased. Some children, to be sure, 
hung up their things; but Lady Wind and 
Fairy Sunshine could not find a single boy 
who hung up his cap and coat without a 
frown on his face. 

After they had journeyed a long, long 
while, Fairy Sunshine became discouraged. 

“I am ready to quit and go home!” she said. 

But Lady Wind did not like to give up, 
so she begged Fairy Sunshine to keep on 
just one day longer. 

Fairy Sunshine agreed, and by and by they 
64 


came to a great tenement house in the poor 
part of a large city. 

They went in at the shabby doorway and 
climbed stairs and stairs and stairs, until 
they came to the very top of the ugly big 
building. 

Here Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine 
peeped through the keyhole of the door of a 
dingy little room. 

And — can you believe it? — they saw a 
little boy hanging up his coat and cap and he 
was singing: 

“I like to put my coat away, 

And hang it up here, every day! 

I like to hang my cap up, too, 

Because that keeps it good as new.” 

Lady Wind whistled softly, and whispered 
to Fairy Sunshine: 

“Our journeys far and wide are past: 

The little boy is found at last. 

He hangs his things up with a smile, 

Gayly singing all the while.” 

Then they both slipped through the key- 
65 


hole and Lady Wind blew over to the little 
gray cap and coat. She shook her head and 
sighed: 

“His coat is shabby — and quite worn out — 

He needs a new one, beyond a doubt.” 

Fairy Sunshine danced merrily about and 
said softly: 

“His cap is old and faded, too. 

He needs a new one, that is true.” 

Then they watched the little boy tidy up 
the room and peel the potatoes for supper. 
He set a little table for two; then he made 
a fire in the stove and put the teakettle on 
to boil. 

When all this was done, he sat down and 
began to read a fairy tale. 

Suddenly he sighed and said aloud: 

“I wish that I lived in a fairy tale: 

A nice warm coat I would have without fail; 

And I surely would have a new cap, too, 

If I lived where wishes all came true.” 

When Lady Wind heard this she became so 

66 



excited that she shook the window curtains 
beside the little boy’s curly head, and Fairy 
Sunshine danced over and kissed him. 

The little boy laughed merrily, for he 
thought he felt the touch of fairy fingers on 
his cheek. 

But he sighed when he looked up and saw 
that his shabby old coat and cap were still 
hanging on the nails where he had put them. 
Then he went on reading the fairy tale. 

But Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine had 
made up their minds that the good little boy 
should have a new cap and coat. 

So they hurried down into the busy street 
67 






















below, and there they saw a dear old lady, 
looking in at a store window. 

The old lady was richly dressed and carried 
a purse that looked very full. 

Lady Wind whispered in one of her ears 
and Fairy Sunshine in the other. 

They told her about the little boy who 
needed a new coat and cap; and Lady Wind 
fairly blew her into the store, where she 
bought a nice warm coat and cap. 

As they came out of the store, Lady Wind 
whispered to the old lady: 

“So nearly empty is their cupboard, 

You’d think it belonged to Mother Hubbard.” 

As the old lady was very generous, she 
went straight to a grocery store near by, 
where she bought a whole basketful of good 
things. 

Then Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine led 
the way up the long flights of stairs in the 
tenement house. 

You may be sure the old lady was nearly 
breathless when she got to the top. 

68 



They found the door of the room ajar and 
went in. The little boy had fallen fast asleep. 
Lady Wind whispered to the dear old lady: 

“Please hang the new things in a row, 

He will be so glad to find them so.” 

The old lady hung up the new coat and 
cap, and Fairy Sunshine said very softly: 

“Now fill the cupboard shelves so bare: 

Just come with me, I ’ll show you where.” 

69 


























The old lady did as Fairy Sunshine told her. 
Then she went softly down the stairs. 

Lady Wind and Fairy Sunshine went 
down with her, one on each side. They were 
so happy that they kissed her good-by, and 
then they hurried back to see what would 
happen. 

By and by the little boy awoke. He saw 
the new coat and cap. He saw the well-filled 
cupboard shelves. And he just stared and 
stared, like a boy in a dream. 

At this very minute his sister came in, and 
when she saw what had happened she, too, 
stood like one in a dream. Then she hugged 
and kissed the little boy, and the two danced 
the merriest jig together, singing: 

“ There are many things we like to do, 

And fairy tales sometimes come true.” 

The little boy tried on his new coat and 
cap and they fitted exactly. 

And his sister got the most delicious sup¬ 
per from the good things she found on the 
cupboard shelves. 


70 


But the best part of the story is that the 
dear old lady came back the next day and 
got work for the little boy’s sister in the beau¬ 
tiful country, so they did not have to live in 
the dingy tenement any longer. 

Dear children, if you ever hear Lady Wind 
and Fairy Sunshine whispering in your ear 
and asking you to do a kindness, be sure to 
obey them. You may thus help to make a 
fairy tale come true. 




71 


THE LITTLE BOY WHO LIKED TO SAY 
“THANK YOU” AND “IP 
YOU PLEASE” 

One bright winter night, as Fairy Moon¬ 
light was shining through the trees, she 
heard Lady Wind sighing and saying: 

“They ’re all so rude, so very rude! 

You seldom find their manners good. 

They pout and scold and like to tease; 

It’s never ‘Thank you’ or ‘If you please.’ ” 

“Whom are you talking about, Lady 
Wind?” she asked. 

“About boys, of course,” replied Lady 
Wind. “One seldom sees a really, truly polite 
little boy. Do you know a single one who 
always remembers to say ‘ Thank you’ or 
‘If you please’?” 

“I have never thought much about it,” 
replied Fairy Moonlight; “for little boys are 
usually tired or asleep when I am about. 
But suppose we try to find a boy who always 
says ‘Thank you’ and ‘If you please.’ ” 

72 


“I should love to,” said Lady Wind. “Let 
us start to-morrow morning.” 

“No,” said Fairy Moonlight, “we shall 
have to travel at night, because, you know, I 
sleep all day.” 

So Fairy Moonlight and Lady Wind 
started out that very night to look for the little 
boy who always remembered to say “Thank 
you” and “If you please.” 

The stars were shining brightly, and Jack 
Frost was out making everything snap with 
cold. 

Lady Wind and Fairy Moonlight darted 
through many windows. 

Sometimes they found themselves in warm, 
cozy rooms, sometimes in cold, dreary 
ones. 

The first night they did not find the boy 
they were seeking, nor the second; but on 
the third night they peeped into a warm, 
bright room where a little boy was eating a 
birthday supper with his grandfather and 
grandmother. 

There were nuts and fruit and candy on 


73 



the table, and a birthday cake with eight 
little wax candles upon it. 

The little boy was speaking, and Lady 
Wind and Fairy Moonlight crept closer to 
hear what he was saying. 

And this is what they heard: 

“Please pass me the sugar, Grandma.” 

“Please, may I have an orange, Grandpa?” 

“Thank you, Grandma, for making me this 
lovely birthday cake!” 

But when the little boy said to his grand¬ 
mother, with a smile, 

“ ‘If you please,’ I like to say, 

And ‘Thank you, Grandma,’ every day,” 

74 

































Lady Wind and Fairy Moonlight fairly 
danced with delight. 

“We’ve found him! We’ve found him!” 
exclaimed Fairy Moonlight, while Lady Wind 
cried: 

“I’d like to tell it in a shout —• 

We ’ve found the lad, without a doubt.” 

Lady Wind and Fairy Moonlight were so 
pleased to have found the little boy that they 
lingered about the pleasant room to see what 
would happen later. 

After the birthday supper was ended, the 
little boy took his grandfather’s hand. 

“Please take the chair by thd fire, Grand¬ 
pa,” he said. 

Then he said to his grandmother: “Please 
let me help you clear off the table, Grandma. 
Please let me help with the dishes.” 

But before the little boy began to clear the 
table he said softly to his grandmother: 

“Thank you, dear Grandma, for giving me 
such a lovely birthday supper.” 

By and by, when the work was done, the 
little boy climbed upon his grandfather’s 
75 


knee, and they all sat by the fire together. 

“Please tell us a story, Grandpa,” the little 
boy said. 

Grandpa said “yes” and began: 

“One night in December, when I was a 
little boy, I heard sleigh bells ringing.” 

“Were they the bells on Santa’s reindeer?” 
asked the little boy. 

Just then Grandma said: “Hark! what is 
that? I am sure I hear sleigh bells now!” 

The little boy ran to the window, but Lady 
Wind blew co hard that he could hear 
nothing else. 

Then the little boy turned and saw that 
his grandparents were both nid-nid-nodding 
in their chairs. 

“Now is the time, dear Lady Wind!” cried 
Fairy Moonlight, dancing about, and Lady 
Wind shouted: 

“ ’Tis Santa’s sleigh bells, little boy! 

Hear them jingling loud for joy, 

In Santa’s sleigh you ’ll ride to-night 
Because you are always so polite.” 

By this time sleigh bells could be heard 
76 


plllllllililil 



77 
































































































distinctly. A sleigh was coming nearer and 
nearer. 

Soon Santa Claus’s prancing reindeer 
came in sight, drawing a sleigh in which sat 
good old Santa himself, dressed in fur from 
top to toe. 

As he was dashing by, Fairy Moonlight 
called out to Lady Wind: “Stop him, stop 
him, Lady Wind!” 

And Lady Wind cried shrilly: 

“Dear Santa, pray stop with your toys and your 
trees! 

Here’s a boy who says ‘Thank you’ and ‘If you 
please.’ ” 

Santa Claus drew in his reindeer and 
stopped before the very window where the 
little boy was standing. There was a merry 
twinkle in his eyes as he called: 

“Whoa, Dancer, whoa, Prancer, heigh-ho, heigh-ho! 

Come on, little boy, and ride over the snow.” 

The little boy was so excited that he did 
not stop to get his coat or cap or mittens. He 
ran right out and jumped into the sleigh, 
78 


pulling the fur robe over him as he glanced 
shyly at Santa Claus, 

Santa knows all there is to know about 
little boys and girls, so he said: 

“Pull off the tassel upon my cap, 

And see what you get, dear little chap.” 

So the little boy pulled the tassel off 
Santa’s fur cap, and then the funniest thing 
happened! The tassel became a little fur cap, 
which was just his size. 

He put on the cap, saying: “Thank you, 
dear Santa Claus.” 

Then Santa said, with a merry twinkle in 
his eyes: 

“Dive into my pockets, if you please! 

But do not disturb my Christmas trees.” 

Then the little boy knelt on the seat and 
felt in Santa’s pockets, and in one of them 
he found a little package. He pulled it out, 
and it grew bigger and bigger and bigger, 
until it became a fur overcoat just his size! 

He put it on, and said: “Thank you, thank 
you, Santa Claus!” 


79 


After this Santa Claus said: 

“Close your eyes and do not stir, 

You need some mittens, all of fur.” 

The little boy did as he was told and a 
little pair of fur mittens were slipped on his 
hands. He looked now like a little Santa 
Claus himself dressed in fur from top to toe. 
He thanked Santa Claus again. 

They had a wonderful ride! Over the 
housetops they flew, and down the chimneys 
they hurried, carrying Christmas trees and 
filling stockings with toys. 

The little boy was so anxious to help that 
he said to Santa: 

“Dear Santa Claus, now, if you please, 

I’ll help you trim your Christmas trees.” 

At that, Santa Claus pressed a button on 
one of the trees, and the tree glittered all 
over with lighted candles and beautiful toys. 
Even the Christmas angel and the star shone 
at the top of it! 

The sight was so beautiful that the little 
boy clapped his hands with delight. 

80 


But the happiest time was still to come, 
for Santa Claus had decided to give him a 
treat. So, after all the toys and trees had 
been distributed, he said to the little boy: 

“You like to say ‘Thank you,’ as I understand, 

Will you travel with me to Santa Claus Land 1 ?” 

The little boy clapped his hands with 
delight and cried: 

“Oh, yes, dear Santa! I should love to go!” 

Faster, faster went the reindeer over the 
snow. 

Soon they were at the door of Santa Claus’s 
workshop. They got out of the sleigh and 
went in. 

Santa Claus said to his magic stove: 

“Come, light a fire for him and me, 

For we are cold as cold can be.” 

At once the stove glowed brightly, and 
they were soon warm. 

And pf course they were very hungry, so 
Santa Claus said to his magic table: 

“Hurry up, hurry up, little table — 

Serve supper as soon as you are able!” 

81 


In rolled a table, with a fine hot supper 
upon it. Santa Claus and the little boy sat 
down at the table, and, my! what a merry 
time they had! 

After supper was over the most wonderful 
rocking-horse, with a beautiful long mane 
and tail, ran out of a corner and invited the 
little boy to ride him. 

And a big red drum rolled out, while the 
drumsticks were going rub-a-dub-dub upon 
it, and told the little boy it belonged to him. 

Then all the toys in the workshop began to 
talk about the good little boy who was 
always polite. 

When the little boy had said, “Thank you” 
to Santa Claus, he clasped the big red drum 
in his arms and jumped upon the rocking- 
horse. 

As he rocked to and fro, to and fro, the big 
red drum beat more and more softly and 
Santa Claus’s voice sounded farther and 
farther away. 

Then the little boy awoke with a start. It 
was morning and he was in his own little 
82 


bed. Downstairs in the parlor Grandpa and 
Grandma were singing a Christmas carol. 

“Merry Christmas!” cried the little boy, 
as he sprang out of bed and ran downstairs 
two steps at a time. 

And — lo, and behold! — there in the hall 
stood a rocking-horse! There stood a big red 
drum! And near by, on a chair, lay a new 
fur coat and cap and mittens! 


83 


THE LITTLE BOY WHO WAS ALWAYS KIND 


Once upon a time there was a little boy 
named Willie Winkle who was so kind- 
hearted that everybody knew about him far 
and wide. He would always go out of his 
way to do a kind act to some one, and he was 
especially nice to old people. 

One beautiful Saturday in December the 
ice was just right for skating and Willie 
expected great sport. 

So he hurried up with his chores, and 
when he sat down to a good dinner he was 
all ready to start out the minute it was over. 

At the table Father Winkle said to him: 

“I hope you will have a good time, Willie, 
and that on your way to the pond you don’t 
meet any old gentleman who needs your help.” 

“Or any old lady, either,” added Mother 
Winkle. 

Willie Winkle laughed and said: 

“You never can tell, never can tell, 

But in the end it will turn out well.” 

84 


Then he put on his coat and his fur cap 
and his mittens, slung his nice sharp steel 
skates over his shoulder, and went whistling 
merrily down the street. 

He had gone only a short distance, when 
he looked up and saw the funniest-looking 
little old woman he had ever seen. 

She was bent and wrinkled and very ugly. 
She wore a long pink cape and a pink satin 
poke bonnet and carried a pink satin parasol. 

The little old woman looked hard at Willie 
Winkle and said: 

“I cannot walk across the street, 

For fear I ’ll soil my dainty feet!” 

Then Willie Winkle looked at her feet and 
he saw that she had on little pink satin 
slippers; and she tapped the ground angrily 
with her pink satin parasol. 

He saw, too, that the street at the crossing 
was very muddy. 

So Willie ran off a little way and came 
back with some clean boards, which he put 
down at the crossing. 

85 



Some of the boys who were waiting for 
him shouted: “Sir Walter Raleigh! Sir 
Walter Raleigh! Where is your coat?” 

Now, you know Sir Walter Raleigh was a 
fine gentleman who laid his beautiful scarlet 
cloak over a mud puddle for Queen Elizabeth 
to walk on. 

Of course the boys made it harder for Willie 
to be kind to the little old woman, for he 
knew they would tease him in school next 
week, but he was a brave lad and he went 
over and very politely helped her across the 
street. 

She leaned heavily on his arm, saying: 

86 












“Now, you walk fast and I walk slow — 

In which direction shall we go?” 

Willie Winkle was so surprised at this 
that he did not answer for a minute, and the 
little old woman shook her finger at him, as 
she said in a louder tone: 

“North or south, or east or west — 

Tell which direction you like best!” 

Willie Winkle replied: 

“I was hastening on my way 
To the skating-pond to-day.” 

Then the little old woman pretended to be 
deaf and said: 

“Shout louder, in my other ear; 

It’s very hard for me to hear.” 

So Willie Winkle had to tell her again 
about the skating-pond, and pointed to the 
skates which hung over his shoulder. 

Some of the boys who lingered about to 
see what would happen, laughed at the little 
old woman, who flew into a great rage and 
87 


shook her fist at them as she cried,- 

“Respect your elders, you saucy boys, 

And stop at once your silly noise!” 

Willie Winkle saw by this time that she 
was very old and very queer, so he asked: 

“Madam, may I escort you home, 

Or have you further still to roam?” 

Then the little old woman did the most 
surprising thing. She sat down on the steps 
of the public library, and began to weep into 
a little pink silk handkerchief! 

Willie Winkle was very much worried. 
He was afraid the little old woman had no 
home to go to, so he sat down beside her, 
to comfort her. At last he persuaded her to 
go into the library and sit in a warm, com¬ 
fortable seat. 

He had just raised his hat to say good-by, 
when she sprang to her feet and tapped with 
her parasol on a panel in the wall. 

Instantly a tiny door opened in front 
of them. 


Then the little old woman came close to 
Willie and whispered: 

“Do you see this doorway wide? 

Perhaps we M better step inside.” 

This was a joke, of course, as the doorway 
was very narrow, but Willie and the old 
woman managed to get through, and in one 
magic minute they found themselves under¬ 
ground in the Skate Country. 

The Skate Country is in the Snow Queen’s 
Land; and in it is the most wonderful skat¬ 
ing rink in the world. The ice there is like 
glass. 

That day there were hundreds of skaters 
gliding over the ice, and everything glittered 
and sparkled with electric lights. 

Willie Winkle looked at the old woman 
and — can you believe it? — she was not an 
old woman at all! 

She had dropped her pink cape, her poke 
bonnet and her parasol, and her homely mask, 
and had become the loveliest fairy in the 
world! 


89 


The fairy took two pairs of silver skates 
from a little pink satin bag on her arm and 
begged Willie Winkle to put on one pair. 
She put on the other pair, and then she and 
Willie glided out on the ice. 

How they skated, that afternoon! The 
fairy was a fancy skater and she taught 
Willie Winkle to make wonderful figures on 
the ice. Willie had never dreamed that he 
should ever be able to do so many wonderful 
things. 

Everybody skated like mad, and Willie 
was whirled this way and that way; but he 
had the j oiliest time of all his life. 

After they had skated a long time the 
fairy said: 

“Now we ’ll skate home — if you don’t mind, — 
For you ’re the hoy who is always kind.” 

Willie Winkle wanted very much to stay 
longer in the beautiful Skate Country, but he 
never said a word about it. He only bowed 
very politely to the fairy. 

The fairy took his hand and they skated 
90 



away, away, away, underground, through 
the Skate Country. 

They saw the Snow Queen and her ice 
palace. They saw the Snow Fairies making 
snowflakes. And they saw the Icicle King. 

How he reached home at last Willie 
Winkle never could tell. The wind was 
whistling in his ears and he grew colder, and 
colder, and colder. 

But the next thing he knew, his mother’s 
voice was saying: 





“Oh, Willie! why did you leave your win¬ 
dow so wide open?” 

Willie Winkle awoke and he was in his 
own bed at home! 

At first he was disappointed, for he 
thought the beautiful time he had had that 
Saturday afternoon was only a dream. 
Then, to his delight, he saw a pair of silver 
skates hanging on the foot of his bed. 

He tried them on. They fitted exactly, and 
he shouted: 

“These are the fairy’s skates, I know — 

She surely did great kindness show.” 

When he told his father and mother about 
his strange adventure, they just smiled at 
each other. 

The very next week Willie Winkle learned 
that there was to be a great skating contest 
on the big pond, and that a gold medal was 
to be given to the finest skater. 

All the boys and girls were fairly wild 
to enter the contest. 

You may be certain that Willie Winkle 
92 


handed in his name among the first, for he 
felt sure that with the fairy’s skates he could 
win the medal. 

When the great day came there were 
dozens and dozens of skaters in the contest. 
There were big skaters and little skaters, and 
good skaters and poor skaters. 

An d the boys and girls all skated in pairs. 
That is, every one but Willie Winkle. He 
had no partner, and everybody had to have 
a partner in order to try for the gold medal. 

But how that boy did skate! All the 
people held their breath at his wonderful 
curves and figures. What a pity he had no 
partner! 

Then a wonderful thing happened. A wee 
lady, beautifully dressed and wearing silver 
skates, suddenly appeared and skated to 
meet him. They joined hands and skated so 
wonderfully that the people thought they 
must be in fairyland. 

When the skating contest was over Willie 
Winkle’s name was called. His partner was 
called for too. 


93 


Willie looked about, but she had vanished. 

She had not stopped to receive her gold 
medal. 

That night when he examined the gold 
medal he had won, he heard a voice singing: 

“Into your room I often peek, 

I am the fairy Hide-and-Seek. 

I am leaving a present, as you will find, 

For the little boy who is always kind.” 

And indeed, Fairy Hide-and-Seek left 
Willie Winkle the most beautiful present in 
the world — the present of happiness. An d 
that, with the silver skates, was quite 
enough! 


94 


LITTLE BOY SICK-A-BED 


Once upon a time when Tommy Tittle- 
mouse was sick-a-bed, his mother said, one 
afternoon, that he must play alone because 
she had to go out. 

As Tommy heard the door close after his 
mother he wondered what he should do for 
company. 

He had been playing with his Noah’s Ark, 
and the animals were all lying on the bed. 

Tommy was so lonely that he was ready 
to cry, when he heard a voice say: 

“It’s still more lonely in the dark; 

Besides, you have your Noah’s Ark.” 

Tommy Tittlemouse was so surprised! He 
could not tell where the voice came from, 
but he cried: “Say it again! Say it again!” 

And the voice spoke again. This time it 
said: 

“Now — one, two, three — Tommy, close your eyes, 
We are going to give you a big surprise.” 



Tommy Tittlemouse closed Ms eyes and 
counted, “One, two, three.” 

When he opened them, all the animals of 
his Noah’s Ark were marching over the bed¬ 
spread. 

He clapped his hands with delight, and the 
voice spoke again: 

“Cut-out figures, keep in line; 

Say your verses all the time.” 

Tommy Tittlemouse laughed until he 
cried, and he shouted: “Cut-out figures, cut¬ 
out figures! You are all cut-out animals, 
to be sure!” 


96 





































When the animals came in front of Tommy 
they bowed very respectfully to him. The 
first who came was Old Man Never-Tire, the 
camel. He bowed low and said: 

“ ’T was far away I had to roam, 

When I left my pleasant desert home.” 

At that, all the animals set up a shout: 
“He likes his desert home,” they cried. “He 
likes sand storms! He likes sand in his eyes 
and mouth and nose!” 

Then Old Man Hug-Me-Tight, the polar 
bear, came along and growled: 

“I’m the polar bear. As you well know, 

I like my land of ice and snow!” 

After the polar bear’s little speech, the 
animals all talked at once, asking questions 
about the Eskimo, and the seals, and the 
bears in the land of ice and snow. 

Next Old Man Touch-Me-Not, the porcu¬ 
pine, lifted his quills and said: 

“"Whichever way the wind doth blow, 

I always have to bristle — so!” 

97 


Now, the porcupine’s quills were so sharp 
and prickly that all the other animals looked 
at him out of the corners of their eyes and 
moved away to give him more room. 

Old Man Carry-All, the elephant, came 
next in the procession. As he moved slowly 
along he said: 

“My trunk is always packed, you know, 

And to the jungle I can go.” 

Old Man Never-Speak, the giraffe, fol¬ 
lowed the elephant. He bowed to Tommy 
Tittlemouse, but did not say a word. 

“Why does he never speak?” shouted one 
of the animals. “He certainly is big enough 
to talk.” 

Tommy spoke up and said: “I know! I 
know! He has no vocal organs.” 

Suddenly, to the surprise of every one, a 
funny little voice cried out: 

“The dream ship is coming in to-day — 
A-sailing you ’ll go, away, away!” 

Then the most beautiful dream ship sailed 
up to the bed, and Tommy Tittlemouse and 
98 


all the Noah’s Ark animals went aboard, and 
they sailed away for the rest of the day. 

The animals all crowded around Tommy 
and cried: 

“We will make him well in less than a day, 

As we sail in the dream ship away, away!” 

Then Old Man Never-Tire said: 

“First to my desert home we ’ll go — 

The trip will make him well, I know.” 

Then Old Man Hug-Me-Tight growled: 

“Better go to the land of ice and snow 
And show him the queer little Eskimo.” 

Next Old Man Carry-All spoke up: 

“The jungle’s the jolliest-place I know 
For a little sick boy, and there let us go!” 

And Old Man Never-Speak nodded his 
head up and down; for he, too, liked the 
jungle. 

Away, away, away they sailed and visited 
all the strange countries from which the 
animals came. And the little boy grew 
better and better all the time. 


99 


By and by they sailed back to Tommy’s 
room; and the little boy rubbed his eyes, for 
there he lay safe and sound in his own little 
bed at home. All his Noah’s Ark animals 
were lying about him on the bedspread. 

The funny little voice spoke again to 
Tommy and said: 

“A dream sometimes may make you well; 

But, after all, you can never tell.” 

When Mother came home Tommy Tittle- 
mouse told her all about his adventures. He 
introduced the animals by their queer names 
and laughed as he repeated their funny little 
rhymes. 

Tommy said: “As soon as I am able to go 
to school I will read about Eskimo Land and 
the desert and the jungle, and see if I really 
visited those places in my dream.” 

Mother said: “You do not have to wait to 
go to school for that.” 

She handed Tommy a wonderful book 
which she had bought for him. It told all 
about the strange countries which Tommy 
100 



had visited with the animals in his dream. 

Tommy fairly screamed with delight and 
hugged his new book to him. 

The same funny little voice spoke again: 

“Some people like to be sick-a-bed, 

But I would rather be well, instead.” 

Tommy laughed and replied: 

“I do not quite agree with you — 

’Tis fun to have your dreams come true.” 

I really think he did not mind being sick- 
a-bed, after all. 


101 














THE LITTLE BOY WHO MADE THE BEST 
OF EVERYTHING 

Once upon a time there was a little lame 
boy named Jerry who made the best of every¬ 
thing. 

He never was sulky or cross because he 
could not run and play like other boys. No, 
indeed! He was always cheerful and happy, 
and whistled and sang merrily from morning 
till night. 

This was not so very easy for Jerry, be¬ 
cause he had to sit in a little chair all day 
long while his mother was away. She was 
very poor and had to go out and work. 

But Jerry was always busy. He cut the 
prettiest little figures out of wood with a 
penknife. And when they were finished he 
would set them up in a row on the window¬ 
sill for the children who passed by to see. 
For they always nodded kindly to the little 
lame boy and would often call out: “What 
are you making to-day, Jerry f’ 

102 


And Jerry would show them and go on 
with his work. 

One day he got out his knife and little 
pieces of wood and was wondering what he 
should carve next, when a voice said in his 
ear: “Why don’t you make a Noah’s Ark?” 

Jerry laughed merrily. He could not see 
any one, but he knew the voice belonged to 
a fairy. 

So he began to make a Noah’s Ark. He 
made it with doors and windows, and with a 
slanting roof to shed the rain. 

When Jerry had finished the ark, he heard 
the fairy voice again: 

“If I were a boy with a gift like you, 

I should make the animals, two and two.” 

Jerry began to carve the animals as the 
fairy had suggested. And such fun as he 
had, for days and days and days, in making 
them! He made camels and elephants and 
lions and giraffes and horses and cows, and 
every animal that he could think of. 

He made a pair of every kind of animal and 
103 



painted them all so that they looked just like 
real animals. 

The children, as they passed along the 
street, clapped their hands with delight when 
they saw all of Jerry’s wonderful little figures 
standing in a row on the window-sill. 

One dull, dark day Jerry was alone, as 
usual. He was whistling to keep his spirits 
up, when he saw one of the tall giraffes 
nodding its head in the most comical manner! 

Then one of the camels found a voice and 
said: “Old Man Never-Speak is ready to go 
into the ark!” 

Jerry was so surprised to hear the little 
104 














wooden camel talk that he leaned forward 
in his chair and asked: “Who is Old Man 
Never-Speak?” 

At that all the animals crowded around 
Jerry, and one of them shouted: 

“Don’t you know Old Man Never-Speak 
when you see him? He has never uttered a 
sound in his whole life. Old Man Never-Tire 
says so.” 

The camel bowed very solemnly. He 
deserved the name “Old Man Never-Tire,” 
for he could travel miles and miles over the 
desert in the hot sun without tiring or com¬ 
plaining. 

Then the smaller animals became very 
friendly and jumped up on the arms of 
Jerry’s chair and two little wooden monkeys 
began to climb the window curtains beside 
him. 

The fairy called out: 

“Come, one and all, get into line 
And march into the ark so fine.” 

All the animals, two by two, instantly got 
105 


into line and in marching order. The long 
procession of little carved figures looked so 
cunning as they marched into the ark that 
Jerry clapped his hands with delight. 

“Oh, I wish I could go into the ark, too!” 
he exclaimed with a sigh. “I am so tired of 
my chair.” 

At once the fairy said: 

“This is the day when wishes come true 
For just such good little boys as you. 

One, two, three—you must grow very small 
Or there ’ll be no room in the ark at all.” 

And then, to his great surprise, Jerry 
began to shrink. He grew smaller and 
smaller and smaller. He was a little bit 
frightened and wondered if he would never 
stop shrinking! 

But by and by he was small enough to 
enter the ark with the little cut-out animals, 
and when he was safely in, the ark sailed 
out through the open window of Jerry’s 
room. 

My, it was jolty, sailing away through the 
106 


air, just like a bird! It seemed to Jerry like 
a wonderful dream. 

And the most beautiful thing happened 
to him. The fairy put a brace upon his leg, 
and he could dance about as lively as a 
cricket! 

When they had been sailing around in the 
sky for a long, long time, the fairy cried: 

“One for the money and two for the show — 
Home again, home again now let us go.” 

So they sailed merrily homeward; and 
when they reached Jerry’s window-sill they 
all jumped out of the ark and Jerry grew to 
his proper size again. 

But the landing gave him such a jolt that 
he awoke with a start! It surely was good- 
luck day for Jerry, for, as he rubbed his 
sleepy eyes, he saw Mother sitting beside 
him with a brace in her hands! It was 
exactly like the one which he had worn in 
the ark! 

She put it on his lame leg and — can you 
believe it? — he could walk alone! At this 
107 


exciting minute the fairy’s voice called out: 

“To make the best of things you try, 

So to your crutches say good-by.” 

“The fairy, Mother, the fairy!” cried Jerry, 
excitedly. 

But Mother said: “What a boy you are, 
Jerry, to make up fairy tales! But you are 
a good boy, for when you had to sit alone all 
day in your little chair, you always made the 
best of everything. 

“Now see what has happened to you! At 
last I have saved money enough to buy you 
this brace.” 

Jerry was so happy to be able to walk that 
he kissed his mother on both cheeks. 

The next day the fairy chirped as loud as a 
cricket: 

“He makes the best of everything, 

So something else is on the wing.” 

Jerry did not know what that meant, but 
the postman knew, for he brought Jerry a 
wonderful letter. And this is what the 
letter said: 


108 



Dear Jerry: I hear that you carve wonderful 
figures. Will you make a Noah’s Ark and all the 
animals, just like those you have on the window-sill, 
for my little boy? I will call soon to see you. 

The letter was signed by the lady who 
lived in the great house across the way. 
Jerry was so excited over the thought of a 
visitor that he could n’t keep still. He swept 
the floor and scoured the. pans and kettles. 
And when the lady called to see him he was 
so shy at first that he could not say a word. 

109 




















When the lady saw the ark and all the 
cunning little animals which Jerry had made, 
she praised him for his cleverness, and she 
and he soon became friends. 

Jerry told her how his mother had worked 
for days and days to buy the brace for his 
lame leg. 

The lady said: “I will buy the Noah’s Ark 
and all the animals for my little boy, who is 
ill. Some day, when he is better, you may 
come to see him.” 

She put two bright ten-dollar gold pieces 
into Jerry’s hand and took the ark and the 
animals away with her. 

When Mother came home Jerry was very 
happy to tell her his good news, for they 
were so poor! And they both wept for joy. 

After that Jerry had many orders for his 
little wooden animals, and he said: 

“Mother, some day I will set up a shop and 
make lots of money, and you won’t have to 
work any more.” 

A week after the lady called on Jerry her 
little boy was well enough to be up. He 
110 


stood at the window of his room and waved 
his hand to Jerry. 

He put all the animals on the window-sill. 

Old Man Never-Speak nodded his head to 
Jerry, while Old Man Never-Tire shouted: 

“We make the best of everything, too; 

But we miss you, Jerry, indeed we do!” 

Old Man Touch-Me-Not bristled up his 
sharp little quills and called: 

“I keep the animals all in line, 

With these funny touch-me-nots of mine.” 

Both the little boys laughed and laughed 
as the animals marched to and fro on the 
window-sill. 

By and by the fairy sang to Jerry: 

“To school, to school you now must go, 

Like all the little boys you know, 

Now that your lame leg is mended, 

The story will soon be ended.” 

“Sing it again! sing it again!” cried Jerry, 
clapping his hands with delight. And for 
all I know the fairy is singing that same 
song still. 


ill 


THE LITTLE GIRL WHO DID A KINDNESS 
EVERY DAY 

There was once a little girl whom every¬ 
body called “Little Miss Sunshine,” because 
she was always so smiling and happy, and- 
because she was always trying to make some 
one else happy. 

She often wore a yellow dress, and she had 
long golden curls which bobbed up and down 
as she danced along, so that she really looked 
very much like a golden sunbeam. 

And a little lark was always singing in 
her throat. She was such a happy, happy 
little girl! 

The Water Sprite was very fond of her, 
and when he heard her singing he fairly 
bubbled over the top of his teakettle with 
joy. He would sing loud and clear: 

“Little Miss Sunshine, blithe and gay, 

You do a kindness every day; 

And like a sunbeam warm and fair, 

You drive away the dullest care.” 

112 


Little Miss Sunshine could always hear 
the Water Sprite, but, no matter how quickly 
she lifted the teakettle lid, she never could 
catch sight of him. Then how he would laugh 
and say, “Good-by, good-by, Little Miss Sun¬ 
shine!” 

And Little Miss Sunshine would say in 
reply: “Good-by, good Water Sprite!” and 
run off, laughing. 

Here are some of the ways in which this 
little girl did a kindness every day: 

Whenever a strange little girl came to her 
school, she helped her with her lessons and 
made her feel at home. 

One day she carried some flowers to the 
old lady who lived alone. The next day she 
read the paper to the old blind man who 
lived in the lane. 

Another day she rocked a sick baby while 
its mother was at work. Or she fed some 
hungry bird or animal. 

Little Miss Sunshine ran about so much 
that she wore her shoes out very fast, and 
her little feet often looked quite shabb.y 
113 



because her shoes were so badly stubbed at 
the toes. 

Father would say, “I must buy little Miss 
Sunshine some new tan shoes.” 

Mother would say, with a twinkle in her 
eyes: “How about a pair of silver slippers?” 

Whenever Mother said this, Little Miss 
Sunshine would dance for joy. She longed 
for a pair of silver slippers more than 
she did for anything else in the whole wide 
world. 

Every day as she came home from school 
she passed a shoe store. In the window 
stood a pair of silver slippers that she knew 
114 
















would fit her, and they had silver buckles on 
them, too. 

Often Little Miss Sunshine would sing 
under her breath: 

“If I were a princess, I should not worry; 

Those silver slippers I’d have in a hurry!” 

One day Little Miss Sunshine was invited 
to a picnic. 

The day set for the picnic was a beautiful 
day in June. The roses were blooming, and 
the birds were singing in the trees overhead. 

The day before Little Miss Sunshine had 
ironed her white dress, and Mother had 
baked her a cake, so that she would be ready 
to start early. 

But Little Miss Sunshine never went to the 
picnic. Dear Mother was taken ill and the 
whole house seemed topsy-turvy. 

Little Miss Sunshine had to get the meals 
and rock the baby in her cradle. But she 
never scolded nor pouted once, the whole day 
long. 

She kept up her spirits by thinking of the 
115 


silver slippers that stood in the shoe-store 
window. 

At the end of a week Mother was better. 
One day she whispered something to Father 
about the good little girl who gave up the 
picnic without a grumble. 

Father looked very smiling and the next 
morning, when Little Miss Sunshine awoke, 
she saw the pair of silver slippers she had 
longed for standing on her dresser. 

They were peeping out of pink tissue 
paper. And they had silver buckles on 
them, too. 

She was so delighted with her new slippers 
that she could hardly wait to put them on. 
When they were on, the most surprising thing 
happened. She wished that she might see 
Cinderella, and there stood Cinderella in her 
beautiful ball gown and her little glass slip¬ 
pers, right beside her! 

And so it happened that whenever Little 
Miss Sunshine wore the silver slippers her 
wishes came true. For they were magic slip¬ 
pers, of course! 


116 





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117 

















































































The Water Sprite saw her dancing about 
in them and sang: 

“You may wear the slippers without fear, 

For they never will wear out, my dear.” 

So Little Miss Sunshine wore the silver 
slippers every day and went dancing around 
like a sunbeam in them, doing a kindness 
whenever she could. And the silver slippers 
never wore out! 

But the most wonderful thing about them 
was that they grew larger every year to tit 
her feet. 

If you would like to know where Little Miss 
Sunshine lives, just ask the Water Sprite in 
your own teakettle. 

When the water boils hard you may hear 
him singing: 

“If you do a kindness, it is true, 

Much happiness will come to you. 

The way to be happy, and good, and gay, 

Is to do a kindness every day.” 


118 


THE CRICKET AND LITTLE BEHIND-HAND 


One rainy autumn evening Little Cricket 
crept close to the fireplace where a little girl 
was reading in a big armchair, and began to 
chirp. 

The little girl who was sitting beside the 
fire was called Little Behind-Hand, because 
she was always late wherever she went. 

She heard the merry little cricket and 
leaned over and said to him: 

“Little cricket, gay and free, 

Sing a happy song for me.” 

Little Cricket chirped a minute or two and 
then he said: 

“If you wish me to sing a song for you, 

I will tell you a tale that is truly true.” 

Little Behind-Hand laughed and said: 
“All right, Little Cricket.” Then she settled 
back comfortably in her big armchair and let 
her book fall into ,her lap to listen to the 
119 


cricket’s song. And this is what he sang: 

“Lady Autumn came along, 

And she sang a magic song 
To the autumn fruits and flowers: 

‘ Ripen in the sun and showers, 

Apples red and nuts so brown, 

Goldenrod and thistledown, 

Purple grapes and asters bright — 

Oh, you make a pretty sight!’ 

“Then the autumn fruits and flowers 
Ripened in the sun and showers, 

And the merry school bells rang 
While the happy children sang: 

‘See the bright leaves falling down: 

Lady Autumn’s come to town.’ 

Into school they’d gladly go, 

As the bell swung to and fro.” 

“But,” continued Little Cricket, “this year 
Lady Autumn went over hill and dale, peep¬ 
ing into one schoolroom after another, until 
she came to one where one little girl was 
always late!” 

“Why, that’s me!” cried Little Behind- 
Hand, forgetting all about her English. Rub- 
120 



bing her sleepy eyes, she awoke with a start. 

Little Cricket was still chirping merrily 
away on the hearth. But now she could not 
understand a word he sang. 

The next day was Monday, and, sad to tell, 
Little Behind-Hand was late to school as 
usual. 

In the evening she curled up again in the 
big armchair by the fire, and Little Cricket 
came out of his hiding-place, chirping away 
as merrily as ever. 

Little Behind-Hand was sulky because she 
had been late to school as usual, and she said 
crossly to Little Cricket: 

121 















“I enjoyed your pretty song, 

But you brought no luck along: 

I was late to school to-day — 

What will Lady Autumn say?” 

Little Cricket chirped a moment before 
he answered: 

“Lady Autumn knows you well — 

Nothing’s left for me to tell. 

Crickets often do bring luck, 

Little girl, but you need pluck. 

“I can’t pull you out of bed, 

Oh, you little sleepyhead! 

Morning snoozes make you late; 

School begins at half-past eight.” 

Little Behind-Hand thought a minute. 

“You’re right, Little Cricket,” she said, 
“I am a sleepyhead and I haven’t a bit of 
pluck. I don’t want to go to bed and I don’t 
want to get up. Dear me!” 

Little Cricket rubbed his wings against his 
sides while he was thinking; then he said: 

“I can only give you a word of advice. Use 
as your motto: 


122 


“ ‘Early to bed and early to rise 

Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’ 

“You can make that motto fit little girls, too. 
And if you keep it in mind it may help you 
get to school on time.” 

“All right, Little Cricket,” cried Little 
Behind-Hand. “I’ll go to bed this very 
minute!” 

She did n’t stop for another word, but with 
a hop, a skip, and a bound ran off to bed. 
Still, after all her good resolutions, she was 
as late as ever the very next day! 

The next evening, as she sat cozily knitting 
by the fire, Little Cricket jumped right over 
her foot, to attract her attention, and sang: 

“If I bring good luck to you, 

Many things you ’ll have to do.” 

And Little Behind-Hand laughed and re¬ 
sponded: 

“I should not linger at the table, 

But leave as soon as I am able.” 

Ah, that was the secret! She had been late 

123 


to school that, morning because she had lin¬ 
gered at the breakfast table! 

And for one reason or another Little 
Behind-Hand was late to school every day 
that week; but Little Cricket was not dis¬ 
couraged and on Saturday night he sang 
gayly: 

“Come, be on time, with smiling face, 

And with the others take your place! ’ ’ 

Little Behind-Hand was almost ready to 
cry, but Little Cricket went on as though he 
did not see her doleful look. 

“Early rising make your rule, 

If you’d be on time to school; 

Wraps and books place on a chair, 

So next day you ’ll find them there. 

“Do not linger by the way; 

Try to be on time eaeh day. 

If you heed my little rhyme, 

It will help you be on time!” 

Little Behind-Hand said: “Dear Little 
Cricket, I will say those lines over and over, 
124 


and I will be on time to school every day!” 

When Monday came Little Behind-Hand 
woke up early. She dressed and ate her 
breakfast promptly and hurried off to school. 
It was easy to get off, for her hat and coat 
and her books were on a chair in the hall, 
where she had placed them the evening before. 

That day she stood at the head of her class 
in spelling, and she learned all her lessons 
well. An d she found it just as easy to be on 
time as it was to be late. 

On the way home she kept saying over and 
over to herself: “I wonder what Little 
Cricket will sing to-night.” 

That night she waited and waited for Little 
Cricket. It seemed as though he would never 
come. And she was so anxious to tell him the 
news. 

But by and by he crept out of his corner 
and sang: 

“It is very easy, don’t you see, 

To be on time when you want to be.” 

Little Behind-Hand clapped her hands and 
said: “I am so happy to learn the secret of 





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being on time! I hope people will soon 
change my name to that of ‘Little Always- 
on-Time.’ ” 

Then she added: “Dear Little Cricket, I 
am so glad you came to my house to bring 
me good luck!” 

As once before, the cricket sang: 

“Little Behind-Hand, you didn’t need luck — 

All you wanted was pluck, just pluck.” 

After that Little Cricket told Little Behind- 
Hand many tales as he rubbed his wings 
together and chirped merrily. 

One story was about his cousin the House 
Cricket, who was often found in the bakery 
because he liked bread so well. As for him¬ 
self, he was satisfied with the meadow, where 
he belonged. 

So saying, he went out at the open window. 

Little Behind-Hand called after him: 
“Good luck, good luck!” 

And Little Cricket called back: “Just 
pluck, just pluck!” 


127 


LITTLE KIND HEART 

Once upon a time a boy called Little Kind 
Heart went into the woods to get some purple 
wild grapes for his grandmother, who wished 
to make a wild-grape pie. There he met 
Curly-Tail, the squirrel, limping along, hold¬ 
ing up one of his paws. 

“Poor Curly-Tail!” cried Little Kind Heart, 
“what has happened to your paw?” 

Curly-Tail answered, wiping the tears 
away with hig well paw: 

“I have met with such a sad mishap! 

My poor little paw was caught in a trap.” 

I he little boy sat down by a brook and 
washed Curly-Tail’s injured paw with cool, 
clear water and then bound it up neatly with 
a piece of his pocket handkerchief. My, how 
grateful Curly-Tail was! He whisked his 
bushy tail and off he went, crying: 

“If at any time a friend you may need, 

You can count on me as a friend indeed.” 

128 



When Little Kind Heart had gone only a 
short distance farther, he met Pretty-Paws, 
the bunny, who was holding his paws to his 
eyes in great distress. 

“What’s the matter, Pretty-Paws?” cried 
Kind Heart. Pretty-Paws answered: 

“An accident strange has happened to me: 

I have dust in my eyes and cannot see.” 

Little Kind Heart washed the dust out of 
Pretty-Paws’ eyes, and the happy rabbit went 
off with a hoppety, skippity jump, saying: 

“If at any time a friend you may need, 

You can count on me as a friend indeed.” 

, 129 









A little farther along he met Hug-Me- 
Tight, the bear, who looked very mournful 
and said: 

“I’ve searched for a year, a week, and a day, 

For a nice warm place to hide me away.” 

Then Little Kind Heart showed Hug-Me- 
Tight the coziest den in the whole forest, 
and Hug-Me-Tight walked into it in his 
flat-footed way, growling pleasantly: 

“If at any time a friend you may need, 

You can count on me as a friend indeed.” 

Next Little Kind Heart found Fleet-Foot, 
the deer, with his antlers caught in a thicket 
of brier. He set the poor creature free, and 
Fleet-Foot bounded joyfully away, calling 
out as he ran: 

“If at any time a friend you may need, 

You can count on me as a friend indeed.” 

Now Little Kind Heart had been kept busy 
all day and he had not had time to look for 
the purple wild grapes for his grandmother. 
It was growing late when he found Jerry, a 
130 


sick monkey, in the woods, and he took the 
poor thing home with him. 

Thanksgiving was drawing near, and one 
day Grandma said to Little Kind Heart: 

“Take your basket and get some ripe wild 
grapes for a wild-grape pie. You may yet 
find some in the forest.” 

Little Kind Heart took his basket and 
started off. All his animal friends met him 
at the edge of the forest and they said: “We 
will show you where the big purple wild 
grapes grow.” 

They showed him where hundreds of wild- 
grape vines were hanging from the trees, and 
bushels and bushels of grapes growing on 
them. Kind Heart filled his basket with the 
beautiful purple clusters. Curly-Tail did 
the same, and Pretty-Paws did the same; 
and all the animals marched home with bas¬ 
kets of wild grapes. 

They left their baskets at Grandma’s door 
and returned to the woods. And there were 
enough wild grapes to make hundreds of pies 
and hundreds of glasses of jelly. 

131 


The next day Jerry was missing. Kind 
Heart had nursed him so well that the monkey 
had quite recovered. 

Jerry had gone to the Enchanted Circle in 
the forest, where all the animals talk. He 
found the animals sitting around a nice warm 
fire of brushwood, talking. 

Jerry jumped right in among them and 
told them the story of Thanksgiving. 

“I know of a house,” Jerry said, “where 
there are no nuts for Thanksgiving Day.” 

“No nuts!” exclaimed Curly-Tail. 

“I know of a house,” Jerry said, “where 
there are no vegetables for Thanksgiving 
Day.” 

“No vegetables!” cried Pretty-Paws. 

“I know of a house,” Jerry said, “where 
there is no honey for Thanksgiving Day.” 

“No honey! My, my!” mumbled Hug-Me- 
Tight, smacking his lips. 

“I know of a house,” Jerry said, “where 
there are no cranberries to make sauce for the 
turkey.” 

“No cranberries for sauce!” said Fleet-Foot. 


132 


“Why, I could shake off bushels with my 
antlers!” 

“Ha, ha!” Jerry said; “I know where I can 
catch a turkey!” 

Then all the animals began to talk at once 
about turkey, cranberries, vegetables, nuts, 
honey — in fact, about everything that is nice 
for Thanksgiving dinner. 

It was the day before Thanksgiving when 
Grandma heard a rapping and a tapping at 
the kitchen door. She opened it and there 
stood Curly-Tail with a basket of nuts. 

There stood Pretty-Paws with a basket of 
carrots and turnips. 

Then Hug-Me-Tight came lumbering along 
with a jar of honey for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Fleet-Foot followed, carrying on his ant¬ 
lers a basket full of the most beautiful red 
cranberries for sauce. 

And Jerry brought a fine big turkey. 

Grandma called to Little Kind Heart, and 
when he ran to the door all the animals set up 
a shout. Then Hug-Me-Tight cleared his 
throat and said in his rumbling voice: 

133 



“To cheer some heart is the finest way, 

To have a happy Thanksgiving Day. 

We have brought some gifts, as you will find, 
For the little boy who is always kind.” 

Little Kind Heart asked them to stay for 
Thanksgiving dinner, but Jerry was the only 
one who accepted the invitation. The rest 
sped swiftly back to their homes in the forest, 
saying as they went: 

“Be kind to all, there is no better way 
To have a happy Thanksgiving Day.” 

134 

















ABOUT THE BOOK 


It is hoped that this little volume of fairy tales will 
be a help in solving a knotty problem in child training 
and character building — the two things of paramount 
importance in human life. 

Normally the child is as idle and carefree as a butterfly. 
This is proper in days of infancy and should never be 
unduly encroached upon. But with the growth of the 
child and its increasing intelligence, certain small tasks 
and duties should be taught and insisted upon. This 
instruction should be begun early and persevered in, 
because the person who has not been trained to love 
work and duty will never reach a full measure of effi¬ 
ciency or vision. 

Unfortunately over-indulgence and lack of training are 
the rule in American households. The children are pam¬ 
pered and waited upon until their own whims and desires 
are their only law. If compelled to perform any service 
or duty, they do it with the utmost reluctance, their 
mental attitude toward work being one of absolute hos¬ 
tility. A hoy or girl will play all day, hut will whine if 
asked to perform the simplest tasks. Jane and Mary 
hate to wash dishes, and John and Henry hate to carry 
water or do errands, and both boys and girls would 
rather be selfish than kind, and ill-mannered than polite. 

This mental attitude of the child must needs be 
changed, and it is for this very purpose that The Like- 
to-Do Stories were written. The magic of a fairy tale 
never grows old to the little folks. It transforms the 
135 


homely and the commonplace, and makes them seem to 
be the good and the beautiful. 

When they have read about the little girl who liked 
to wash dishes, the little boy who liked to wash his hands 
and face, the little boy who liked to say please, and the 
little girl who did a kindness every day—and about the 
other boys and girls who liked to do things—they too 
will be inclined to consider their tasks and duties as 
pleasures and to do them joyfully. 


136 






























































. 
























































. 




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* 











































































































































































SUPPLEMENTARY READERS 

-FOR ALL GRADES- 


BOW-WOW AND MEW-MEW 

By Georgiana M. Craik. Edited by Joseph C. Sindelar 

The story of a young dog and cat, and one of the few books for 
beginners in reading that may be classed as literature. The story, 
the style, and the moral are all good. 

32 illustrations in colors. 95 pages. Cloth. Price, 45 cents 

THE NIXIE BUNNY BOOKS 


By Joseph C. Sindelar 

Nixie Bunny in Manners-Land—A Rabbit Story of Good Manners 
Nixie Bunny in Workaday-Land—A Rabbit Story of the Occupations 
Nixie Bunny in Holiday-Land—A Rabbit Story of the Holidays 

The Nixie Bunny Books have been read by over 75,000 children 
in two years. They are unsurpassed in popularity by any children’s 
books ever published. Adopted as supplementary readers in the 
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illustrated, pedagogically arranged, well graded, and teach enough of 
value to pay for the time spent in their reading. Each book has 144 
pages, with from 64 to 90 illustrations in colors. Cloth. Price, 
each, 65 cents. 


THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL CLASSICS 

A new series of reading books, which offers the highest class of 
literature for all grades at very small cost. No other series at so low 
a price contains the valuable features of this series, namely: accurate 
and authentic texts, notes and numbered lines for reference, portraits, 
biographical sketches, illustrations, new type, good paper and bind¬ 
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Bow-Bow and Mew-Mew—Craik—Grades 1-2—95 pages (12 cents) 
Peter Rabbit and Other Tales—Grades 2-3 

The King of the Golden River— Ruskin— Grades 4-6 . 

Rip Van Winkle and the Author’s Account of Himself—Irving— 

The ( Le a ge e nd 5 of Sleepy Hollow—Irving—Grades 5-8 

Thanatopsis, Sella and Other Poems—Bryant—Grades 5-8 

The Courtship of Miles Standish—Longfellow—Grades 6-8 

The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Other Poems—Browning—Grades 6-8 

Evangeline—Longfellow—Grades 6-8 

The Great Stone Faee— Hawthorne— 6 ‘ 8 R 

Snow^Bound* ^and *0ther °'po ems^W^i^tier—(frades 6-8 

The Vdskn^tif"si^Launfaf^m^Other Poems— LoweU— Grades 6-H. S. 

SI (^tT^r’s Saturday^Nig^lit^andOther Poem^^B?rn^^ra?esJ’-H. S. 

The Deserted Village (Goldsmith) and Elegy-Gray-Grades 7-H. S. 

Price, per copy, 6 cents, postpaid, unless otherwise mentioned 
128-page illustrated Catalogue of Books mailed upon request 


BECKLEY-CARDY CO. 


Publishers 


CHICAGO 






GOOD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN’S READING 


These books are all intended for children from five to 
ten years. They represent a step forward in story-book 
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Animal-Land Children. By Margaret Flora. 

A story of the contest for the Magic Glasses, or how the 
little animal children wished to become wise. 128 pages, 
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Bow-Wow and Mew-Mew. By Georgiana M. Craik. 

Edited by Joseph C. Sindelar. 

The story of a young dog and cat. An unusually attractive 
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Defoe’s famous story of Robinson Crusoe rewritten in a 
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Father Thrift and His Animal Friends. By Joseph C. 
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One of the most fascinating stories for children ever writ¬ 
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128 pages, with 49 pictures in black and color and decorated 
end sheets. Cloth, 55 cents. 


BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY Publishers CHICAGO 






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For children from five to ten years 

( Continued ) 

Nonsense Rhymes and Animal Stories. By Alhambra 
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Charming little rhymes and stories, incidentally teaching 
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The Teenie Weenies. By William Donahey and Effie 
E. Baker. 

The adventures of these strange tiny folks are related in 
a manner that is delightfully simple and realistic, and 
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141 pages, with 72 illustrations in colors and decorated end 
sheets. Cloth , 55 cents. 

Two Indian Children of Long Ago. By Frances 
Lillian Taylor. 

A collection of beautiful Indian legends, giving an intimate 
picture of Indian child life. 128 pages, with 40 illustra¬ 
tions in black and color. Cloth , 55 cents. 

Nixie Bunny in Manners-Land. By Joseph C. Sindelar. 
This is the first of the popular Nixie Bunny Books which 
have been read wherever there are children. It is a rabbit 
story of good manners. 144 pages, with 62 illustrations in 
colors and decorated end sheets. Cloth, 55 cents. 

The other books in the same series are: 

Nixie Bunny in Workaday-Land 

A rabbit story of the occupations and industry. 144 pages, 
with 90 illustrations in colors and decorated end sheets. 
Cloth, 55 cents. 

Nixie Bunny in Holiday-Land 

A rabbit story of the holidays. 159 pages, with 82 illustra¬ 
tions in colors and decorated end sheets. Cloth, 55 cents. 

Nixie Bunny in Faraway-Lands 

A rabbit story of strange little folk. 160 pages, with 94 
illustrations in colors and decorated end sheets. Cloth, 55 
cents. 


BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY Publishers CHICAGO 





LANGUAGE GAMES TOR ALL GRADES 

■ .. By Alhambra G. Deming«—-- 

Principal Washington School, Winona, Minn. 

With Introduction by J. N. Adee, Supt. of Schools, Johnstown, Pa. 

Designed to establish the habit of correct speech and to increase 
the child’s vocabulary. The book contains thirty language games, 
teaching the correct use of troublesome words and forms of expres¬ 
sion in a pleasant way, and which will serve to eliminate the common 
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is a habit. To get a habit thoroughly rooted in a child’s life takes 
careful drill and constant repetition. Children like to repeat; they 
enjoy doing and saying things over and over again. There are only 
twenty or thirty grammatical errors that persistently occur, and 
if we can put the correct expression for these errors in the form 
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90 pages. Cloth. Price 60 cents. 

CARDS TO ACCOMPANY LANGUAGE GAMES FOR ALL GRADES 

Fifty-three cards, size 4% x 6 y 2 inches, for pupils’ use. 

Price, per set, 40 cents 

EASY THINGS TO DRAW 

By D. R. Augsburg 

Prepared particularly as an aid to teachers who lack training in 
drawing, or who may be in need of drawings made in the simplest 
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Contains 203 drawings which may be easily transferred to the black¬ 
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etc. They will also furnish subjects for stories. Every principle of 
drawing is presented. 

77 large pages. Paper. Price, 40 cents. 

BEST PRIMARY SONGS 

By Amos M. Kellogg 

A collection of nearly sixty songs, suitable for primary and 
intermediate grades, and for ungraded schools. There are morning 
and welcome songs, nature songs, marching and motion pieces, social 
and ethical songs, farewell and closing sentiments, etc. The words 
have been carefully chosen and the music is attractive and simple. 

48 pages. Paper. Price, 20 cents; per dozen, $2.20 


BECKLEY-CARDY CO. Educational Publishers CHICAGO 






NUMBER GAMES FOR PRIMARY GRADES 

By Ada Van Stone Harris 

Director of Practice in Elementary Schools, Pittsburgh* Pa., and 
Lillian McLean Waldo 

Contains 58 number games, designed to create an active interest 
in number and to make the child skillful in applying it directly and 
naturally through the “make-believe” element and the idea of 
friendly contest. Number games are valuable and vital, and make 
an all-round appeal tc the child. They not only afford pleasure and 
furnish recreation, but they also exalt thinking, subordinate mem¬ 
ory, and add to the love of right and fair play. The instructions 
for playing the games are very complete, and many illustrations 
are furnished. 

Dr. A. E. Winship, in the Journal of Education, says of this 
book: “Turning the boresome drill of the old-time arithmetic lesson 
into the ardor of sportmanship is both high art and intensified com¬ 
mon sense, and that is what Miss Ada Van Stone Harris and her 
running mate have done through ‘Number Games.’ We cannot 
imagine any board of education that will not put this little book 
in action in its lower grades.” 

12$ pages, illustrated. Cloth. Price 75 cents. 

NUMBER STORIES 

By Alhambra G. Deming 

Principal of Washington School, Winona, Minn., and Authoi ot 
“Language Games for All Grades” and 
“Primary Language Stories” 

“Number Stories” represents an attempt to increase the interest 
of pupils in the intermediate grades in arithmetic work. The book 
contains a series of five stories, each interesting on its own account 
and describing incidents calling for numerical calculation. The 
plan is to have the teacher read the stories to the class and get 
the exact situation before the pupils. The details of all transactions 
are worked out by the children as the story moves along. The 
methods of solution are furnished for the teacher. The intention 
of the book is to prove that figures, instead of being symbols that 
must be juggled with according to set rules, are a practical and 
interesting means of finding out things worth while. There is 
nothing abstract in arithmetic as it is studied in these stories—just 
practical, everyday number experience in life situations. Further¬ 
more, the stories, through the spirit of helpfulness and co-operation, 
teach better citizenship. 

205 pages. Cloth. Price, 75 cents. 


8ECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY Publisher* CHICAGO 





BEST BOOKS AND HELPS FOR TEACHERS 


--OF ALL GRADES- 

Morning Exercises for All the Year. By Joseph C. Sindelar, author 
of the “Nixie Bunny” books, etc. Contains over 300 exercises, 
arranged day by day, there being an exercise for each morning 
of the ten school months, beginning with the first day in Sep¬ 
tember and ending with the last day in June. 252 large pages. 
Cloth. Price, 85 cents. 

Language Games for All Grades. By Alhambra G. Deming, Princi¬ 
pal Washington School, Winona, Minn. Designed to establish 
the habit of correct speech and to increase the child’s vocabulary. 
90 pages. Cloth. Price (with 54 cards for pupils’ use), $1 .oo 

Easy Things to Draw. By D. R. Augsburg. A teacher’s handbook, 
with 203 simple drawings for reproducing on the blackboard. 
77 large pages. Paper. Price, 40 cents. 

Simplex Class Record. The most convenient, compact and practical 
teacher’s class book published. Provides space for 432 names. 
76 pages, ruled in three colors. Size, 4J4x7?4 inches. Cloth. 
Price, 40 cents. 

Simplex Seat Plan. A simple card and pocket device for keeping a 
correct list of the pupils for easy reference. Size, 6x9 inches. 
Cloth. Price (with 100 cards), 66 cents. 

District-School Dialogues. By Marie Irish. A collection of twenty- 
five new, humorous dialogues for children of all ages. 160 pages. 
Paper. Price, 35 cents. 

The Best Christmas Book. By Joseph C. Sindelar. Dialogues, reci¬ 
tations, songs, drills, pantomimes, tableaux, etc., for Christmas 
entertainment. 192 pages. Paper. Price, 35 cents. 

Best Memory Gems. Selected and edited by Joseph C. Sindelar. Con¬ 
tains 400 of the choicest gems culled from the best in litera¬ 
ture, and indexed by authors, by first lines, and by sentiment. 
For primary, intermediate and grammar grades. 64 pages 
Paper. Price, 25 cents. 

Best Primary Recitations. By Winifred A. Hoag. Over 200 original 
recitations for first and second grades. 88 pages. Paper Price 
25 cents. * 9 

Best Primary Songs. By Amos M. Kellogg. Nearly sixty songs for 
primary and ungraded schools. 48 large pages. Paper Price 
20 cents. * 

Merry Melodies. By S. C. Hanson. A book of school songs. Over 
one-half million copies already sold. 64 large pages. Paper 
Price, 20 cents. 

128-page illustrated Catalogue of Books mailed upon request 


5ECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY 


Publishers 


CHICAGO 














































































